Your Inner Strength

Due to Federal Government Shutdown, Opening of the 2025-26 Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Season Delayed to December: https://bit.ly/474wRMV

Due to the federal government shutdown, Pennsylvania must delay the opening of the 2025-26 Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) season by one month, until December 3, 2025, because the Department of Human Services (DHS) has not yet received its federal allocation for 2025-2026 LIHEAP funds. Without action from the White House or the Republican-controlled Congress to reopen the federal government or release LIHEAP funding to states, DHS will be unable to open the LIHEAP season as previously scheduled on November 3, 2025.

LIHEAP is a federally funded program administered by DHS where benefits are distributed directly to a household’s utility company or home heating fuel provider on behalf of qualified Pennsylvanians who need help paying their home heating bills during winter months. On average, Pennsylvania receives more than $215 million every year for LIHEAP – in 2023, the Commonwealth received $216 million and in 2024, $229 million. Pennsylvania cannot backfill these costs.

“The LIHEAP Program helps more than 300,000 Pennsylvania families heat their homes during the colder months – and is especially critical for older adults and low-income families. Inaction from the Republican-controlled Congress now threatens access to this assistance,” said Human Services Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh. “I urge Congress and the White House to recognize the serious consequences that limiting heating assistance will have on the health and safety of people in Pennsylvania. Congress must come together for a solution that protects people most at risk.”

For immediate needs during the shutdown, Pennsylvanians can use PA Navigate at pa-navigate.org to help find resources. Local help is also available by calling 211 or visiting pa211.org.

Another great resource to those who need it.

One hundred dentist chairs will line the halls of the David L. Lawrence Convention Center as part of a free dental, vision and hearing clinic.

The clinic, put on by Mission of Mercy Pittsburgh and powered by nearly 2,000 volunteers, Friday and Saturday will offer free care to adults and children who lack access or cannot afford it. The annual event, which launched with dental care in 2017, started offering vision services in 2021, with hearing care added the following year.

🔗: https://www.post-gazette.com/news/health/2025/10/22/mission-of-mercy-pittsburgh-health-clinic/stories/202510220070

Hi, I’m Katie France—a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), certified Embodied Life Coach (ELC), certified DBT therapist, and mom. I specialize in supporting children, teens, and adults navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, self-growth, and social or emotional challenges. My approach blends evidence-based therapy with a holistic, mind-body perspective, allowing me to tailor treatment to each person’s unique psychological, physical, and spiritual needs. As both a therapist and a parent, I bring compassion, real-life perspective, and a deep commitment to creating a safe, collaborative space where healing and growth can unfold.

This week, Congress passed the “Take It Down” Act, a major step toward protecting survivors from the devastating harm of nonconsensual image abuse.

National Domestic Violence Hotline Applauds Passage of Bi-Partisan “Take It Down” Act Internet usage can be monitored and is impossible to erase completely. If you’re concerned your internet usage might be monitored, call us at 800.799.SAFE (7233). Learn more about digital security and remember to clear your browser history after visiting this website.