The season of giving is always a good time to help neighbors in need and as the hometown utility OUC wants to help them, too.

Project CARE is OUC’s emergency assistance program to help those in our community who experience a personal or family crisis that places them in danger of losing utility service. For every $1 you donate to the program, OUC will contribute $2. You can add $1, $2, $5, or a specified amount to your monthly bill.

All funds collected for CARE are administered by Heart of Florida United Way, a local, non-profit community assistance agency. To contribute, please log in into your myOUC account and select the Billing & Payment option. Click on Project CARE and select the blue Enroll in Project CARE button.

OUC customers who need assistance should call United Way at 2-1-1. United Way will then help the customer locate an agency that will determine eligibility and need. Under the program, a household can receive a maximum benefit of $500 in a one-year period.

Since its inception in 1994, Project CARE has allocated nearly $7 million to help thousands of families and individuals in need.