6 Outreach, 2605(b)(3) - Assurance 3, 2605(c)(3)(A)

6.1 Select all outreach activities that you conduct that are designed to assure that eligible households are made aware of all LIHEAP assistance available: Place posters/flyers in local and county social service offices, offices of aging, Social Security offices, VA, etc. Publish articles in local newspapers or broadcast media announcements. Include inserts in energy vendor billings to inform individuals of the availability of all types of LIHEAP assistance. Mass mailing(s) to prior-year LIHEAP recipients. Inform low income applicants of the availability of all types of LIHEAP assistance at application intake for other low-income programs. Execute interagency agreements with other low-income program offices to perform outreach to target groups. Web Posting Email Texting Events Social Media Other (specify): For the Heating, Crisis, and Cooling components, the VDSS provides applications upon request as well as access to applications on the VDSS public website. Applications can be submitted in person as well as by mail; fax; online via CommonHelp; and via the phone through the VDSS Enterprise Customer Service Center. Applications are accepted at sites that are geographically accessible to all households within the service area. A toll-free telephone number for the hearing impaired is provided. In September of 2024, households that received Heating, Crisis, or Cooling Assistance in the prior year receive a preprinted heating assistance application or a notice of preapproval for Heating Assistance in the mail. Last year, 81,808 households received a preprinted application for Heating Assistance. An additional 56,733 households received a notice of preapproval for Heating Assistance. In June of 2025, we completed a preapproval process for Cooling households; 46,400 households were preapproved for CoolingAssistance. During each component of the Energy Assistance Program, we use social media posts for the DSS Facebook and Twitter accounts to alert potential applicants to the application period starting and ending, to benefits being distributed, and to any questions that arise during the component. If any of the above questions require further explanation or clarification that could not be made in the fields provided, attach a document with said explanation here.