The chill in the air is not good news for residents who are paying higher heating bills this winter &8212; which means just about all of us.

But for the quarter of Miss-Lou residents who live below the poverty level, paying higher heating bills is not just an inconvenience.

The good news is that there are a variety of places in Adams County and Concordia Parish offering help.

And there are a lot of ways that the rest of us can help those agencies, too.

If you need help, these are the agencies to turn to:

AJFC, which has a waiting list already, can be reached at 601-442-8681.

Catholic Charities, where you can set up a January appointment to receive assistance, can be reached at 601-442-4579.

The Salvation Army can be reached at 601-442-0217. Salvation Army is partnering with Atmos Energy to provide heating bill assistance.

Here&8217;s where the rest of us come in.

On your Atmos bill, you can offer to help &8220;Share the Warmth,&8221; providing a donation to a program in which Atmos and the Salvation Army contribute toward heating bills for those who cannot afford them.

Atmos has already collected $30,000, and it will match those contributions from its customers.

We hope everyone who is able will donate through that program or to another agency that is offering help this winter.