By BRAD GASKINS / Staff Writer

COLUMBIANA – Columbiana United Methodist Church was a one-stop shop Thursday afternoon for Shelby County residents to get important information and advice on home efficiency and other issues.

Twelve agencies participated in the four-hour affair. Booths were set up with information and staffed by professionals to answer questions.

The Elmore-Autauga Community Action Agency provided information on a service to provide home repairs for qualifying, low-income homeowners.

If a homeowner qualifies for the program, the agency will send a person to their home to check windows, ceilings, doors and other aspects. The agency will then make appropriate repairs at no cost to the homeowner.

Brian Burrows, a peer advocate with Independent Living Resources of Greater Birmingham, said he hopes Shelby County residents would take advantage of that program.

“We want people in Shelby County to know about this service and access it if they need to,” said Burrows, who organized the four-hour event. “Hopefully this was a step for them to come and talk to a person from that agency and see what they can do.

“In these times, there’s a need out there. There’s a need for people to learn how to lower their utility bills. There are different ideas and ways for you to lower your bills by a lot.”

Other partners for the event included the Middle Alabama Area Agency on Aging (M4A), RSVP-Shelby County, Shelby Emergency Assistance, Community Action Program, ARC of Shelby County, American Red Cross, Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services, OASIS Program (ADRS), Shelby County Extension and Alabama Power.