WARSAW — As the weather begins to chill and families begin to plan and prepare for the upcoming holidays, we are thankful for many things; and near the top of that list is heat.

Last year, Combined Community Services assisted 323 families, who had a utility disconnect notice, in keeping their utilities on. Families are eligible to request assistance once they have a disconnect notice and can only make a request once annually. While we celebrate assisting 323 families, we were unable to assist 108 families due to funding limitations.

Combined Community Services seeks to raise awareness for the need of utility assistance in Kosciusko County as well as raise funds to help keep families warm this winter. This Friday, Oct. 20, is the annual CCS Winter Warmth Sleepout on the Kosciusko County Courthouse lawn. Attendees will bring tents, boxes and sleeping bags and sleep out on the lawn. From 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., there will be multiple acoustic worship sets, snacks including chips and salsa donated by Hacienda Mexican Restaurant, and games. The event is sponsored by Kosciusko REMC.

For those who do not wish to sleepout but want to support the cause please visit CCSSleepout.com.