By Lisa Carolin
The requirements for receiving general assistance from Faith in Action have recently changed and now state that your household falls within 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level.
Anyone who lives in the Chelsea and/or Dexter school districts may be eligible for food and financial assistance from Faith in Action (FIA).
“If you are stressed and don’t know where to begin this process, you can always call us,” said FIA Executive Director Sheri Montoye. (734-475-3305 is FIA’s number.) “It is a confidential call. We specifically ask for information about household income over the past 30 days and will ask for some basic documentation to verify your financial situation.”
Although Chelsea’s FIA building is closed to the public, staff is on duty Mondays and Wednesdays from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
People are asked to call FIA to set up appointments and not come to the office.
“Faith in Action will provide food every two weeks so that you can use any money you do have for other critical expenses,” said Montoye.
“Also, we try to help people stay housed by assisting with rent or housing costs, and we can provide utility support, or assist with critical home repair expenses in some cases. We have also been able to help with vehicle repair in some situations and can explore ways we can help with immediate transportation needs.”
Montoye says FIA has seen an increase in the need for services due to unemployment related to Covid 19, and she expects to see the number of people in need continue to grow as state and federal supports taper off.
FIA welcomes donations of non-expired food, cleaning products, and toiletries, which can be dropped off at the FIA building in Chelsea, located at 603 S. Main St., Chelsea.
Money donations are also appreciated and can be donated online at www.faithinaction1.org or by mail or dropped off at the building during work hours.
The clothing room at FIA is closed, and no clothing or household donations are being accepted. FIA has a limited amount of durable medical equipment available that remains from before Covid 19 restrictions were in place and is not taking any equipment donations.
Montoye says if you call FIA staff, they can help identify other county resources, and anyone can call 211 to learn about county resources organized by the United Way, or visit the United Way website https://www.uwwashtenaw.org/.
