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Be Counted! 2010 Census

The census is a very important tool that affects the community you live in. Be counted, be heard. Make sure you fill out the easy 10 question census when you receive it in the mail. Watch for it in March 2010. for more information check out the US Census Website

Helpful Links

• 
  Statewide Catalog for Books
• WorldCat: Books and Magazines Worldwide
• Email a Reference Librarian
• Library Hours
• Purchase Power - Help your Library

Tax Links

Click on the tax links below to access tax information and forms for city, state and federal.

• City of Saginaw
• State of Michigan
• Internal Revenue Service (IRS)

Helpful Resources in Michigan

The site below helps Michigan citizens facing economic hardship find the services they need. Simply click on one of the five tabs below for links to information about jobs and training, unemployment benefits, health care, family support and housing. Then click on the particular link that describes the help you're seeking.

Click here to go the the Helping Hand site now.

Director's View

At the end of the year, I find myself reviewing the progress and changes that the library has seen over the past twelve months.  Going back to our mission statement – educate, enrich, entertain, encourage reading and lifelong learning – gives me a good measure of how we are doing.  We’ve started a Community Resource Series to help educate the community on topics of interest, held multicultural programming to enrich our understanding of other cultures, continue to provide an outstanding  Summer Reading Program for patrons of all ages to entertain and encourage reading, and  began the V.I.P. series featuring celebrity readers sharing how reading shaped their careers and continues to be a big part of lifelong learning.  Some of these are new programs and some are old, but all are good programs that contribute to a successful mission.  We’ll continue our successes into the new year and hope you join us.  Have a peaceful and relaxing holiday season.

Trish Burns, Library Director

Look for Books, Etc.

Quick Search

Helpful Guides and Resources

Heating Assistance Programs

Home Heating Credit
A state tax credit to assist low-income families living in Michigan with the cost of heating their homes. The Credit is based on household income, the number of exemptions claimed and the home's actual heating costs. Special exemptions may be available to customers 65 and older and to people with disabilities. Obtain forms in late January from: Your tax preparer or wherever other tax forms are provided; download the forms from the Michigan Department of Treasury Web site (see below) or call The Michigan Department of Treasury at 1-800-827-4000. Applications, E-filing and more informtaion is available at:
www.michigan.gov/heatingassistance/0,1607,7-215-33210---,00.html

State Emergency Relief (SER)
SER provides limited help to households with low income who have an emergency that threatens their health or safety. Covered services include home heating, electric and utility bills. Applications are available at the following website: www.michigan.gov/heatingassistance/0,1607,7-215-33211-106339--,00.html
Contact your local DHS office for more information or an application, www.michigan.gov/dhs/0,1607,7-124-5461---,00.html

Utilities

Winter Protection Plan
Protects low-income customers and all seniors age 65 and older from service shutoff December 1 - March 31. Low-income customers pay 7 percent of their estimated annual bill plus a portion of any other amount they owe during the shutoff protection period. To apply, contact your natural gas or electric utility company or alternative electric supplier.
Consumers Energy, 800-477-5050
www.michigan.gov/documents/homeheatinghelp_211915_7.pdf

Emergency Charitable Assistance

Please note these charitable funds are last resort emergency funds with limited resources and limited times of operation.

The Heat and Warmth Fund (THAW)
An independent non-profit organization, THAW distributes funds for bill-payment assistance across the state and promotes energy conservation, weatherization and energy efficiency education. THAW partners with several utility companies, who provide funding to administer and operate the program. Most match customer and other donations dollar for dollar and all contributions go directly to low-income bill payments.
1-800-866-8429
www.thawfund.org

PeopleCare
Begun in 1983, PeopleCare is a partnership between Consumers Energy and The Salvation Army to help Michigan households who may not qualify for other assistance yet are struggling to make ends meet.  Charitable donations from Consumers Energy customers and employees allow The Salvation Army to extend material assistance to families, ranging from food to transportation to medical needs.  Consumers Energy also donates PeopleCare bill credits for its low-income gas and electric customers, which are  applied directly to a customer’s bill based on The Salvation Army caseworker assessment and authorization.  To apply, contact your local Salvation Army office, which can be found at: www.usc.salvationarmy.org/usc/www_usc_emi.nsf  or www.dleg.state.mi.us/mpsc/winterwise/energy_assistance.htm

ModestNeeds.org

Do you need help or would you like to help someone else in need? Please check out ModestNeeds.org. This organization tries to help otherwise financially self-sufficient individuals or families from entering the cycle of poverty, when it can be avoided with a small amount of well-timed financial assistance.

Saginaw County's Where to Turn Guide for Unemployed Workers

Unemployed...Now What? Click here for the United Way of Saginaw County's "Where to Turn Guide". Great Information.

Save the Dream: A Response to Michigan Foreclosures

If you are having financial problems, don’t risk losing your home - there are options available.

The Save the Dream toll-free number is 866-946-7432.

Operated by the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA), the hotline directs homeowners to a home ownership counselor in their county who specializes in foreclosure prevention.

Foreclosure Counseling

Click here for information on foreclosure counseling services in Saginaw County.