17 low-income families get to keep cool
The Residential Energy Assistance Challenge, or REACh, of the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs has selected 17 low-income families on Saipan to receive free reflective roof coating that will help keep their homes cool in the tropical heat.
The recipients were randomly selected from among 72 clients of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, who attended the REACh financial management and energy conservation workshops earlier this year.
“We’re very pleased to be able to help our low income families keep their homes cool and reduce their home cooling costs,” said REACh Project Coordinator Linda Concepcion-Torres. “By attending our workshops, these homeowners have shown they are prepared to first help themselves; REACh aims to support their efforts with this additional incentive.”
Senior citizens clients and clients with disabilities were also eligible for the drawing, which was held during REACh’s in-store demonstration and sale of energy efficient products at YCO Do-It-Best in Chalan Piao last Saturday. The Department of Public Works Energy Division also participated in the demonstration.
The 17 winners will be notified by mail, and home assessments are scheduled to start later this week. Two winners were also selected on Rota earlier this year and one winner will be selected on Tinian later this week.
Reflective roof products reflect the sun’s heat and prevent it from entering a home or building, reducing the amount of electricity needed to run air conditioning. Reflective roof products promote cost and energy savings, downsized airconditioning equipment, lowered surrounding air temperature, and decreased pollution.
REACh is also accepting vendor applications for the REACh Energy Fair that will be held on Saipan, Tinian and Rota during Energy Conservation Month in October 2005.
For more information, call REACh Project Coordinator Linda Concepcion-Torres at 670-664-2588/68.
REACh is an annual competitive grant funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families. (PR)
