MONTEVIDEO, Minn. -- Home weatherization programs for low-income households have come a long way, but federal funding has not always matched demand.

In Minnesota, community action agencies often oversee the assistance, and hope they can stretch their budgets further. The governor has declared tomorrow Weatherization Day for the state.

This year, there is a possibility of some extra federal attention, with the pending infrastructure bill poised to include ten times the funding weatherization programs usually get.

Laura Milbrandt, weatherization director for the Prairie Five Community Action Council in western Minnesota, said it could free up other money to help households address other glaring needs.

"Sometimes we get into the house and there are things we can't address, so we have to defer households," Milbrandt observed. "Some health and safety items, like major plumbing and major electrical, that we just... it's beyond the scope of what weatherization can fix."

And she pointed out they can reach more people who are not deemed a priority for traditional weatherization needs, like insulation and furnace repairs.

The agencies noted services have grown from mainly putting plastic on windows, to a scientific approach in protecting homes. The infrastructure bill in Congress was expected to include $3.5 billion for weatherization efforts.

Scott Zahorik, executive director of the Arrowhead Economic Opportunity Agency in northern Minnesota, said there is a waiting list for weatherization. Should the extra funding come through, they can help many others reduce their energy-cost burden.

"There's a lot of single parents out there trying to raise their families," Zahorik explained. "We've got a lot of senior citizens on fixed incomes. And we can really make a life-changing difference in their home."

Local agencies are guided by Minnesota Community Action Partnership (MinnCAP).

Annie Shapiro, advocacy director for MinnCAP's Resource Fund, said the funding boost would provide opportunities for growth and program innovation.

"To think of creative ways to weatherize some of the more multifamily housing buildings and units, which tend to be a bit more challenging," Shapiro suggested.

The state reported the program has reduced energy costs by an average of 15% in more than 49,000 Minnesota homes since 2005.

MADISON, Wis. - November is National Family Caregivers Month, and Wisconsin residents are being reminded about an extra resource they can lean on as caregiving responsibilities pile up.

For the past year, groups such as AARP Wisconsin and United Way have teamed up to offer extra voices for caregivers to connect with, through the 211 Wisconsin helpline. As more people are thrust into caregiving roles, said Rachel Brightman, United Way's 211 information and referral specialist, it can be hard for them to find the right resources to help with their situation.

"They barely have an hour to themselves a day," she said, "so finding time to look for resources can feel like such an extra task."

Nearly 600,000 Wisconsinites serve as unpaid family caregivers. When someone calls the helpline, they can be assigned a referral specialist who can offer support for up to 10 weeks. Requests are accepted not only from the caregivers themselves, but those who know someone else in need of guidance. The extra service has been extended into next July.

Caregivers not only have to support their loved one, but also often manage their own regular jobs and other routine tasks, such as paying bills. Sometimes, Brightman said, the helpline is there to act more like a close friend, offering undivided attention.

"We listen," she said. "If there's an issue going on, if someone just wants to vent, we want to be that listening ear."

The hotline coincides with repeated calls for policymakers to offer more financial support for unpaid family caregivers. AARP has said they spend an average of $7,000 a year on out-of-pocket expenses.

In addition to dialing the number, more details can be found at 211.org. Those who sign up are asked to fill out a registration form.

Helpline info: https://www.unitedwaywi.org/page/caregiversupport.

WI caregiver background data and policy demands: https://states.aarp.org/wisconsin/wisconsion-family-caregiving-legislation-federal-tax-credit.

INDIANAPOLIS -- As we enter the holiday season, groups are spotlighting community service and the value it brings for both volunteers and the people they are serving.

Every year, AARP Indiana spotlights community service by their members by nominating someone for the Andrus Award, named after Ethel Percy Andrus, who founded the organization in 1958.

Dick Huber, a retired family physician, is this year's nominee. He has served as a volunteer instructor for AARP's Driver Safety program for 18 years, and said when he teaches, it's not only those taking the class who are learning.

"I think every class that I've had, I learned something from the other people in the class because everybody has unique experiences, and it's nice to share some of those," Huber recounted.

Huber has also participated in a wide range of additional service projects from Meals on Wheels to help address senior hunger and isolation, to supporting older Hoosiers in staying safe and healthy while having as much independence as possible with Volunteer Advocates for Seniors and Incapacitated Adults.

Linda Dunno, president of AARP Indiana, said it is important to take note of the good deeds people do for each other. She added volunteering as state president has been an enriching exercise for her during retirement.

"One of the things about volunteering is that -- and I tell this to anybody that retires and finds themselves bored or finds themselves kind of depressed, because there's not enough to do -- nothing's better for your psyche, I think, than going out and giving to someone else," Dunno stated.

Dunno received the Andrus Award in 2016. She noted Hoosiers age 50 and older interested in volunteer opportunities can contact the state office or go to aarp.org and select Indiana to find out how they can get involved.

AUSTIN, Texas -- Tomorrow marks 20 years since the fateful events of 9/11, with followers of Islam reflecting on progress in the treatment of American Muslims.

Anger over the terrorist attacks and massive casualties led some to target U.S. Muslims, including those living in Texas, which has the fifth-largest Muslim population in the nation.

Imam Islam Mossaad of the North Austin Muslim Community Center (NAMCC), said he's seen a lot of progress in the past two decades.

"Twenty years on, a lot has changed," Mossaad acknowledged. "And there's still a lot that is the same, unfortunately, in some ways that we need to improve as societies here in the United States and all over the world, I believe."

NAMCC and Austin's Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) will hold a COVID-19 vaccination drive and soup kitchen tomorrow from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Also in Austin, firefighters will climb the Pleasant Valley Drill Tower to equal roughly the height of New York's twin towers. Locals can also climb the stairs to the city's iconic COTA Tower four times, to mimic the 110 floors of the World Trade Center.

Texas has taken in more refugees than any other state in the past decade, and will soon be asked to settle Afghan refugees, following withdrawal from the 20-year war there.

William White, manager of government affairs for CAIR Austin, hopes residents will be as welcoming as they have been to Muslims.

"The influx of refugees has been going on for the last 10 decades or so," White pointed out. "Texas has always been a welcoming home to Syrians, Afghanis, Iraqis, as well as people from all over Africa and South America, so this isn't really anything new for our Texas neighbors."

Mossaad believes one-on-one interactions are the way to create a better understanding of diverse religious beliefs.

"There is a need to keep our doors open to people, especially when they're curious and wanting to know and understand," Mossaad urged. "And likewise, the Muslims should understand people who are from other faith traditions, or from no faith tradition."

Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has been largely silent on the resettlement of Afghan refugees. A Texas lawsuit to prevent additional Syrian refugees from settling there was dismissed in 2016.