The NOGM 27th Annual 5k Race/ 3 K Walk which began 27 years ago as an effort to give community awareness to those neighbors who struggle with high heating bills making choices between foods, medicine or keeping warm is scheduled for April 9th starting at 10:00 at the First Congregational Church 62 Colony Street, Meriden. This is a flat course. Perhaps you know a runner or a walker! The dollars raised through the Race/ Walk for Warmth, which is now USATF certified and sanctioned, stay in the Greater Meriden community. There is an application process and is available only after all other resources have been exhausted. Emergency Fund is designed to assist lower and middle income working families, needy elderly, the disabled and others in the midst of a financial crisis, such as a job loss , reduced hours, increased prescription co-pays, or a medical emergency. More specifically, this program is used for help those who have exhausted other state and federal benefits and programs and helps prevent residents from having their utility or heating service terminated due to lack of payment. Our principal goal is to ultimately remedy people’s payment difficulties by negotiating and creating workable payment plans with the specific utility or fuel provider of those they seek to assist. The average assistance is $300 per family