Chattooga County DFCS office told AM 1180 that A Fresh Start Program "Blitz" initiative has been scheduled for all Region 1 counties, which includes Chattooga County, on Saturday, August 7th, between the hours of 9am – 4pm at Whitfield County DFCS.  Applications will be accepted on a first come first serve basis. 

The Fresh Start Program is a short term, crisis oriented benefit that will provide a one time assistance payment for needy families to get them caught up on past due shelter and/or utility expenses, or assist them with move-in costs associated with renting a new dwelling.  The maximum payment per family shall be up to $3,000.00.  The Georgia Fresh Start Program is funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) and is designed to help low income families with a specific critical need.  

Eligibility Criteria: The applicant must:

• be a U.S. citizen OR legal immigrant allowed to work in U.S.
• be a resident of the state of Georgia
• be a caretaker of a minor dependent child living in the home OR be the non-custodial parent participating in the Georgia Fatherhood Program whose child is receiving TANF
• have an income at OR below 300% of the Federal Poverty Level (at or below $66,150.00 for a family of four) • live at the address provided on the Application for Benefits 

Requirements   The applicant must have at least one of the following: ·        

 foreclosure notice ·        

demand for possession·        

dispossessory notice·        

eviction notice ·        

new rental agreement·        

utility bills with past due balances or disconnection notice·        

disconnected utilities