When we met “Thelma” we were impressed by her organization and preparedness. She came in on the advice of one of her fellow senior citizen friends. Last winter she had run out of money to pay her power bill. This year, she was determined to be prepared with a plan. She had heard that POM’s Samaritan Services could help her apply for Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) so she had researched the information she would need, and came in prepared.
Thelma lives alone, in a small home she has owned for many years. Her small Social Security income mostly meets her needs during the warmer months and she works part-time as a care taker for a little extra income. But her budget gets stretched thin when the winter power bills arrive. Thelma’s story is not unusual for our senior neighbors. Between rising property taxes and increasing utility costs, retirement and social security incomes just don’t go as far as they used to.
Our volunteer case mangers got to work helping Thelma make a plan for the winter. They made arrangements for Thelma’s application for LIHEAP and helped her with some other budget ideas. When they offered to pay her current utility bill so she would be ahead of the game going into December, she said, “Oh, no! I don’t need help with payments. I just wanted help developing a plan.” They assured her that a small voucher to help her get ahead was a valid step in this plan and she allowed them to call her power company to make the pledge to pay.
The case managers were surprised to find out her current bill was only $20! They looked at her, a little stunned and she said with a bright smile, “Oh! Well, I haven’t turned on the heat yet. Layers are the key! I wrap up in blankets and wear my winter coat and hat to bed.”
As they wrapped up her plan, they encouraged her to turn on her heat! She left with her application for LIHEAP assistance and a strategy for getting through the winter (without having to wear layers inside her home!). When she was walking to the door, she stopped our staff case manager and said, “Those ladies who helped me are just wonderful and kind! Thank you so much!”
As the temperatures have plummeted this past month, we hope Thelma has taken our advice and turned on her heat! We know there are many others in our neighborhoods struggling to keep food on their tables, their power on, and their rent paid. We are exceedingly grateful for you, and your yearly support of POM through this Neighbors In Need campaign which allows us to meet the needs of the Thelmas in our community. You truly are making a difference!