http://66.225.205.104/SO20090403a.mp3
Administrators of the Critical Need Fund says they made the extension because they found that most people in need don't feel the impact of paying for winter utilities expenses until spring. Since January, the fund has disbursed more than $2 million in grants to numerous agencies.
Crisis Assistance Ministry received more than $500,000 from the fund. The non-profit agency handles the majority of emergency money for rent and utilities in the Charlotte area. Crisis Assistance Executive Director Carol Hardison says the extension will go a long way. "The average assistance we provide for a family is $303. As a result of the Critical Needs Fund, we're providing $353 per family. And that is very significant," she says. A Crisis Assistance spokesman says the agency is now aggressively seeking funds as it looks to its next fiscal year. It will be taking a cut from the United Way and Mecklenburg County.