NATCHEZ &8212; Consider it an early and much-needed Christmas present: local agencies still have funds to help low-income people pay utility bills.

That&8217;s a must, given nightly temperatures dipping into the lower 30s this week &8212; and the fact that more than one-fourth of Miss-Lou residents live below the poverty level.

&8220;Fixed income, low income, no income &8212; we see them all,&8221; said Suzanne Calhoun, a caseworker for the Natchez office of the AJFC Community Action Agency.

That agency, whose programs also include Head Start, first-time homeowner programs and a variety of others, serves several counties in southwest Mississippi.

In the case of AJFC, there&8217;s a long waiting list for utility bill help.

Still, a limited amount of funds is left to help low-income people pay those bills. To get on that waiting list, call AJFC at (601) 442-8681.

AJFC&8217;s counterpart in east central Louisiana is the LaSalle Community Action Agency, whose parishes include Concordia and Catahoula, among others.

Monday and Tuesday were the only days LaSalle was taking applications for utility bill assistance for this month, according to Helen Payne, a clerical outreach worker with LaSalle&8217;s Ferriday office.

Two local nonprofits, Catholic Charities and the Salvation Army, help people from both Mississippi and Louisiana and said they still have a limited amount of funds left.

Both agencies require that those who need help call first to schedule an appointment.

At that time, applicants are told what income and other information they must bring to their appointments, said Janet Trahern, the Salvation Army&8217;s assistant director.

Who receives aid &8220;is based on their income and whether it&8217;s an emergency situation,&8221; Trahern said.

One program the Salvation Army offers in conjunction with Atmos Energy (formerly Mississippi Valley Gas) is Share the Warmth, which helps pay heating bills for those who, for valid reasons, need assistance.

The Salvation Army is administering the program.

Atmos has already contributed $30,000 toward the program and will match customer donations up to $30,000. Envelopes with information about the program were mailed out with this month&8217;s natural gas bills.

Meanwhile, while Catholic Charities&8217; appointment slots are already filled for December, one can still schedule an appointment for January.

When people qualify for assistance through Catholic Charities, the nonprofit cuts a check directly to the utility company, Executive Director Martha Mitternight said.

Due to the local economy and the rising cost of such utilities as natural gas, Catholic Charities is seeing more &8212; and bigger &8212; requests for help, she said.

&8220;If you couldn&8217;t pay a $100 heating bill, you sure can&8217;t pay at $300 one,&8221; Mitternight said.

To set up appointments, call the Salvation Army at (601) 442-0217 or Catholic Charities at (601) 442-4579.