We are here to help.
According to Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, Rehabilitation Act and Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, Blount County Community Action Agency does not discriminate on the basis of: race, color, age, sex, religion, national origin, handicap or genetic information; applying different standards for the same types of services; segregating clients solely because of race, color, age, sex, religion, national origin, handicap or genetic information; refusing to grant equal privileges to clients or staff members; impairing human dignity by manner of address or treatment; and failing to make allowances for language or educational difficulties.
Community Service Block Grant Program (CSBG)
Goal: To provide a range of services and activities to eligible low-income individuals and families 125% Poverty Guidelines to achieve self-sufficiency and improve the conditions of the communities in which they live. ALL PROGRAMS AND SERVICES FUNDED BELOW HAVE STATE AND FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS AND QUALIFICATIONS IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE.
Services & Activities:
Emergency Services: One-time payments to families or individuals to help meet emergency needs for utilities and miscellaneous needs. See also Emergency Energy Assistance Programs and Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
Nutrition: Use of CSBG resources to store and distribute surplus USDA agricultural commodities. Determine eligibility for Commodity Program and Resource Card Program for local food pantries.
Linkages: Information & Referral (I&R) to answer inquiries about available services and make referrals to community programs. Assists with funding for chore services for elderly clients through the Office on Aging.
Health: Provide assistance through referrals from local dentists and Trinity Health Clinic in providing only emergency dental assistance and dentures to those eligible households.
Employment: Provide assistance through referrals to those eligible households with gas cards to seek out employment, attend job interviews and attend work. Limited benefit.
Client Applications & Eligibility: Persons interested in applying for assistance should contact Blount County Community Action Agency for an appointment and application. Household income guidelines for the regular and ARRA program are 200% of federal poverty guidelines.
This project is funded under an agreement with the Tennessee Housing Development Agency.
NEW SERVICES DUE TO COVID-19, CARES FUNDING: The below services have to directly related to COVID-19 impacts, such as loss or job, reduction in work hours/pay, loss of health insurance, etc. Please contact the Community Services Program to determine if you are eligible to participate in these assistance services.
- Rental/Mortgage Assistance
- Water Bill Assistance
- Pharmacy/Medication Assistance
- Mental Health Referrals
- Food Assistance
Office on Aging
The Office on Aging provides information and education on a variety of topics, including caregiving and Medicare. It also created and manages the SMiles senior-friendly transportation program, which provides essential trips within Blount County to non-driving older adults age 60+ through volunteers who drive their personal vehicles.
This office funded through the Older Americans Act and in agreement with the State of Tennessee to provide the following additional services in Blount County:
- Advocacy on issues important to seniors
- Information on available resources for seniors via telephone, office visits, and the Senior Service Directory (published every 3 years)
- Outreach to the community on a variety of topics
- SMiles volunteer senior transportation program
- Senior Action Council, the planning and implementation group of Blount County leaders
Links
Senior Services Directory 2018
FAXED APPLICATIONS ARE NO LONGER ACCEPTED.
E-mail: mlong@blountcaa.org
Dropped at: 3509 Tuckaleechee Pike, Maryville, TN 37803
Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
Goal: To provide annual one-time assistance with home energy costs to eligible low-income households at 126% Federal Poverty Guidelines and 60% State Median Income ( Federal Poverty Guidelines). The Energy Crisis intervention component provides services to households which are subject to life-threatening conditions without immediate intervention to address their critical energy-related needs.
Client Applications & Eligibility: Blount County residents living at or below the identified eligibility guidelines qualify for LIHEAP assistance, as long as funding is available. Eligibility is also based on a priority point system so that households with members who are elderly, disabled and/or under the age of six. Persons interested in applying for assistance should contact Blount County Community Action Agency for an appointment and application.
Click on either of these links 2021 LIHEAP Application which can be printed and mailed to or dropped-off at Blount County Community Action Agency. You may complete either of the applications YOU DO NOT HAVE TO COMPLETE BOTH. FAXED APPLICATIONS ARE NO LONGER ACCEPTED.
2020 What to bring to your appointment and that must be provided to determine eligibility. Upon receipt of the application, you will be contacted regarding an appointment.
This project is funded under an agreement with the Tennessee Housing Development Agency.
For more information on LIHEAP, visit: “Help for Tennessee Families”
Commodity Food Distribution
U. S. Department of Agriculture surplus foods are distributed to qualifying low income (150% of federal poverty guidelines) households four times each year. A typical distribution provides 40-45 pounds of food to a household and may feature items such as rice, beans, peanut butter, soup, spaghetti, canned fruits and vegetables, powdered milk, nuts, dried fruit, etc.
Eligibility criteria: Proof of Blount County residency; Self-declaration of income (150% of federal poverty guidelines).
SMiles
The Office on Aging is proud to announce SMiles, a senior friendly, door-through-door transportation program for Blount County residents who are over age 60 and in need of rides for essential trips like medical visits or to pick up groceries. SMiles drivers are volunteers who use their personal automobiles to give rides and are well-screened, trained and supervised. SMiles is currently recruiting volunteer drivers as well as promoting awareness among seniors in need of affordable, reliable transportation.
All About SMiles
SMiles is a membership program that costs $25 per year. In addition to the cost of membership, the advance purchase of four $6 round trip rides is required. Therefore, the initial cost of membership and a set of 4 rides is $49. All charges are paid in advance by check or credit card to Blount County Community Action Agency. After this payment of $49, any number of $6 rides can be purchased in advance with a 4-ride minimum of $24. Gift certificates for parents, relatives, neighbors and friends are available by calling 865-724-1331. If you’re a senior in need of transportation, ask for a gift of SMiles rides this Christmas!
SMiles is designed for seniors 60+ who live independently, can walk with assistance of a walker or cane and can communicate with the volunteer driver. No one in a wheelchair can be accommodated through SMiles; however, ETHRA provides transportation for wheelchairs. Call 1-800-232-1565 for more information.
SMiles operates Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. with trips within Blount County only. Once membership information is processed, a welcome packet is mailed to the rider with instructions on how to schedule a ride. Trips are arranged three business days in advance by calling 724-1331.
In order to become a member, please carefully complete and mail in your Membership Application, Consent Form and Rider Code of Conduct or call (865) 724-1331 and a packet will be mailed to you. SMiles currently has a short waiting list of riders, so when your name reaches the top of the list you’ll be asked to send in your initial payment of $49 for the first year’s membership and the first four rides. Send no money now!”
SMiles Program
Blount Co CAC, Office on Aging
3509 Tuckaleechee Pike
Maryville, TN 37803
Membership Application
Consent Form
Rider Code of Conduct
AARP Low-Cost Transportation
Interested in Becoming a SMiles Volunteer Driver?
As a driver, your goal will be to pick up and transport riders to their doctor appointments, grocery trips or other essential errands. While BCCAA cannot pay you for your time, you will be reimbursed for gas if desired, or provided with IRS documentation for tax purposes.
Drivers must be at least 21 years of age, pass a background check, hold a valid driver’s license, auto insurance and have a safe driving record. A written application, reference checks, an interview and driver training program are completed by all drivers prior to being scheduled. Drivers are asked to participate for three hours per month, unless out of the area for an extended period of time.
SMiles Driver Application 4.18
SMiles Receives 3-Year Funding
Emergency Energy Assistance Programs
Emergency help with utility bills is provided from various funding sources administered by BCCAA. Funding sources include the federal Emergency Food and Shelter Program and local utility company programs (Share the Warmth).
For information on donating to the Share the Warmth programs, contact:
For City of Maryville Utilities customers, refer to their website at www.maryvillegov.com and click the tabs for Financial Services Department and Customer Service.
For City of Alcoa Utilities customers, refer to their website at www.cityofalcoa-tn.gov and click the tabs for Electric Department and Products & Services.
For Atmos Energy customers, refer to their website at www.atmosenergy.com and click the tabs for Billing & Payment Options and Energy Assistance.
Also, utility deposits may be paid for qualified households depending on availability of funding. Income guidelines apply. Contact Blount County Community Action Agency for details.
Smoky Mountain Meals on Wheels
Meals on Wheels: Provides a nutritious midday meal Monday through Friday to Blount County residents 60 years or older who are confined to their homes and unable to prepare meals for themselves for various reasons. Priority is given to those with the greatest need.
Meals are delivered by Blount County Community Action Agency – Meals On Wheels volunteers. If you are interested in receiving Meals on Wheels for yourself or someone you know, contact Blount County Community Action Agency Senior Nutrition for an application. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please download and complete the Vol Application. Once complete, call 865-983-8411 x 26 for a time to talk with our Volunteer Coordinator about the details for volunteering.
Congregate Meals: Midday meals for Blount County residents 60 years or older at several congregate dining sites throughout the county. The sites and days of service include:
Broadway Towers: Monday through Friday
Louisville Community Center: Tuesday and Thursday
Martin Luther King Center: Tuesday and Thursday
If you are interested in receiving a meal at one of the congregate meal sites, contact Meals on Wheels (865) 983- 8411 to reserve a meal and an application can be completed at the meal site.
For transportation needs to and from Congregate meals sites contact:
SMiles transportation at (865) 724-1331
This project is funded under an agreement with the State of Tennessee- ETAAAD
Please download and complete all forms below and mail to BCCAA, Meals on Wheels, 3509 Tuckaleechee Pk., Maryville, TN 37803.
Smoky Mountain Meals on Wheels Video – It More than Just a Meal (Produced and provided courtesy of Promedia)
Information release and grievance form
RAMP
(Rural Area Meals Program)
Rural Area Meals Program (RAMP) is a new business model that makes the best use of available funds for helping address the food insecurity challenge for senior adults in Blount County. It also works to fill the need gap created by limited SNAP funds and Title III C. RAMP is deigned to assess a senior adult’s specific level of nutritional need and placing clients in appropriate RAMP Phases.
Each RAMP phase represents a different level of client need. In Phase III of RAMP, a client meets the eligibility requirements for the Federal Tile III C Program and receives five (5) hot or frozen pre-prepared meals a week, however this program only scratches the surface of the need for food insecure senior adults and is fund and eligibility limited by Federal regulation.
RAMP phases I and II are designed to address the needs of senior adults who may not be Title III C eligible and /or cannot be served due to budget limitations, but are still food insecure. These clients can do light meal preparation and are able to utilizing food safety practices/storage and warm frozen homemade meals prepared by the BCCAA kitchen staff. These clients are still mobile enough to be involved in their daily care and participate in the nutrition decision process, yet are prohibited from getting nutritious food by a fixed and limited budget and transportation and/or physical limitations.
RAMP phase II offers these clients one personal visit per week and one hot meal and four frozen meals. (If qualified, they also receive one bag of groceries that require light heating or warming to help supplement their care). Seniors that can still cook, but cannot afford food or have no means of getting to a food source are part of RAMP Phase I. These clients receive one or two bags of shelf-stable groceries per month depending on their need. Volunteers are used to deliver the groceries to the client’s home. RAMP helps senior adults maintain a certain level of independence and dignity in life for a longer period of time and can age with those seniors it serves.
Contact Smoky Mountain Meals on Wheels at 865.983-8411 or tpirie@blountcaa.org for more information
Medicare Beneficiaries May Save Money with New Program
Savings CheckUp is a new program offered by the Blount County Office on Aging through a grant from the National Council on Aging. It provides Medicare beneficiaries with the opportunity to easily and quickly know if there are resources available that may financially help them pay for medical care and prescriptions, groceries, utilities, long-term care, and other routine expenses.
The first step toward receiving help is to call Savings CheckUp at 724-1219 where a staff member, using an online tool, will prescreen a Medicare recipient based on the information that is provided. If an individual is found to be eligible, a screened and trained Savings CheckUp home visitor volunteer will meet with the person. This meeting can take place at home or in any community space. The home visitor will guide the enrollment process, collecting all necessary documents and scanning them into a computer file for the individual.
Once the documents and forms are assembled, staff at the Office on Aging forwards the information to the appropriate agency and tracks the enrollment to be sure it is received and properly evaluated. If the application is denied, staff helps with arranging an appeal to the decision.
Chris is a Savings CheckUp customer who received support from several different programs, amounting to $200 of savings every month. This has greatly impacted the bottom line of the household and made financial security more of a reality, especially with a fixed income of $1300 each month. Chris had this reaction to the news: “What an unexpected and wonderful surprise!”
In addition to many local and state resources (like home repairs), Savings CheckUp screens for and helps with the enrollment process for these five federal benefits:
- Extra Help with Medicare prescription costs
- Medicare Savings to help with Medicare premiums, deductibles and copays
- TennCare for a broad range of services for Medicare beneficiaries
- SNAP (food stamps) for monthly credits that enable recipients to buy food
- Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program for help with home heating and cooling costs
Local physicians, pharmacies, financial institutions and Blount Memorial Hospital are among the Savings CheckUp partners. For more information or to see if a Medicare beneficiary is eligible for assistance, call 724-1219 or email tomary@blountcaa.org. The Office on Aging director, Joani Shaver, can be reached at 983-8411 or jshaver@blountcaa.org.
Teresa O’Mary
865-724-1219
tomary@blountcaa.org
