Funding is available to help North Carolinians in crisis pay utility bills or secure fuel or cooling resources. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services' Crisis Intervention Program provides assistance to qualifying, low-income households experiencing a cooling related crisis. Applications are available through county departments of social services. A life-threatening emergency is defined as a household which has no heating or cooling source or has a disconnect notice, and the health or well-being of a household member is in danger. During state fiscal year 2018-19, county departments of social services helped 106,253 North Carolina households experiencing a crisis.  For local residents in a utility crisis, call the Wilkes DSS.