WV Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) Announces Energy Assistance Program for Low-Income Residents The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) announced applications for the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) will be accepted beginning Monday, April 24, 2023, and ending at the close of business on Friday, April 28, 2023, or until funds are exhausted ..read more

In observance of Women’s History Month, important stories are being told. How did it happen that women started working as union coal miners in West Virginia? It wasn’t easy. In the late 1970s, a concerted effort was made through the United Mine Workers of America and the Coal Employment Project, a non-profit organization that advocated for women’s inclusion in industrial mine workforces ..read more

The WV DHHR received a federal grant from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in order to prepare for the transition of the National Suicide Prevention Hotline to a new three digit number (988), which will be effective of July 16, 2022. These funds will contribute to WV’s National Suicide Prevention Lifeline call center which will answer calls that come into the ..read more

President Biden issued an executive order on June 15, 2022 that promotes LGBTQ+ equality policies. The executive order addresses discriminatory legislative attacks by charging HHS with expanding healthcare for LGBTQ+ patients, creating initiatives to raise awareness about “conversion therapy” and clarifies that it cannot be supported with federal funds, supporting LGBTQ+ children and families ..read more

Approximately 14 percent of the 1.5 million Americans who are transgender are adults over age 65. Initiatives and programs that are meant to address the disparities and challenges seniors face are often forgotten and underfunded. Specifically, employment and housing discrimination take a significant toll on LGBTQ+ seniors. 70 percent of transgender adults who are over 65 have reported that their ..read more

Social Security and Medicare are two critical supports for most older Americans and older West Virginians, no matter their gender or sexual orientation. There are also some unique legal issues that LGBTQ+ seniors can face regarding eligibility for these benefits. The Social Security Administration (SSA) has created a new web portal and some new information sheets targeting LGBTQ+ beneficiaries ..read more

The United States is a country where elder care is primarily the responsibility of partners and adult children. According to SAGE, LGBTQ+ elder adults are TWICE as likely to live alone and FOUR TIMES as likely to not have children. With that being said, LGBTQ+ seniors are more likely to struggle with successfully aging into their communities. This obstacle also stems from possible years of ..read more

Early voting for the 2022 West Virginia primary election begins today and continues through Saturday, May 7. All 55 counties in West Virginia offer early voting and if you have never taken advantage of the opportunity, this may be the year to try it out. Early voting is a good way to assure your vote will count if your polling place has changed because of this year’s redistricting, or if you have ..read more

This week is National Crime Victims' Rights Week. If you have been the victim of a crime, you deserve justice. You can talk to a lawyer for free about your rights at WV Senior Legal Aid if you are a senior West Virginian age 60+. If you know a senior West Virginian who you think may have been victimized, please give them the number and encourage them to call for advice. WV Senior Legal Aid ..read more

We have a primary election coming up Tuesday, May 10, 2022. Since we had a substantial redistricting in our state legislature many registered West Virginia voters may find their state delegate and senate district lines have changed. The House of Delegates now has only single-member districts, so any district that previously had multiple delegates has been changed so you will only be able to ..read more