SPOKANE, Wash. -  With the bitter cold of winter is fast
approaching heating bills will start to eat away at your budget,
but SNAP can help provide financial assistance to keep your home
heated.  When SNAP opened up their first round of heating
assistance appointments on November 6 all 6,000 filled in just
48 hours. It shows just how great the need as winter sets in.
"We do know families who can't get their heat back on or have to
leave and move to a different house because they can't heat
their homes," Carol Weltz with SNAP said. "For the amount of
money we get we only serve about 25 percent of the population
that's eligible in Spokane County."  Weltz, who is SNAP's energy
operations coordinator, said they help about 14,000 people a
year keep their heat on during the winter.  By her estimate
there are more than 40,000 people who are still struggling, but
there are options if you need help.  "All of the appointments
are filled now except for conservation education classes," she
said.  The conservation class