The St. Mary Community Action Agency provides emergency assistance to low-income and elderly through the following programs: LIHEAP – Assists low income, elderly, disabled and households with children with utility bills once every 12 months for 12 months. TRANSPORTATION – Transports eligible individuals through the Welfare to Work Program, Find Works Program and Medical Transportation to medical facilities, dialysis centers, Social Security offices, OFS offices, banks, and unemployment agencies. HOUSING COUNSELING – Helps clients who request assistance with problems related to shelter or housing, counseling services are available to help clients to identify the problems they are having with housing. HOMELESS PREVENTION – Works to identify the homeless clients and provide emergency assistance to these homeless persons. Assist with temporary shelter, rent deposit, utility service, meals, medical costs, job referrals, transportation and clothing for homeless families. WELFARE TO WORK – Provides a case management-based transitional program which emphasizes the Welfare to Work themes of work first, job readiness, support and retention. FAITH PLACE – Provides affordable housing through development and construction. MEDICAID ENROLLMENT – Helps with applying for Medicaid which provides financial assistance for medical expenses. WEATHERIZATION – Helps low-income individuals to weatherize their dwellings. SUMMER FEEDING – Supplies nutritious meals to children during summer months when they are out of school. HEAD START – provides comprehensive health, educational, nutritional, social and other services to economically disadvantaged preschool children. EMERGENCY SHELTER – provides emergency housing for victims of fire, floods, storms and other natural disasters. SPARROW GARDENS – A 30 unit townhouse development that serves as a model of affordable housing development in the State of Louisiana. COMMODITIES – Designed to help feed low-income persons with USDA Commodities (applicants must produce proof of income).