Energy Share aids needy with utilities
<p>As America’s average age continues to get older, more seniors depend on programs such as Energy Share for assistance during winter heating months.</p>
Energy Share helps Montanta families.
Last year, 2,630 Montana families, 2,909 children, 506 senior citizens and 593 disabled people were assisted by Energy Share with emergency bill assistance.
These are the people bill-payers helped when they donated to Energy Share. Together, Energy Share and its donors helped 266 families with their heating needs in Lincoln, Flathead, Sanders and Lake Counties last year.
This month, Energy Share kicks off its statewide public relations campaign. Persons will see ads on how Energy Share helps people, as well as donation envelopes or pledge cares in utility bills or in Rural Montana magazine.
Energy Share is a private nonprofit organization comprised of Montanans who help neighbors faced with energy emergencies maintain their self-reliance.
The organization was established in 1983 and since then has contributed a total of $14.4 million to more than 44,400 Montana families.
“We certainly could not have done this alone. It is only due to the help of generous individuals, corporations and human service agencies that we are able to publicize this record,” Executive Director Rachel Haberman said,
Energy Share helps with a variety of situations that Montana families face.
For example, there was a family that had fallen behind on their obligations because of travel expenses of getting their young son to adequate psychological and medical care from their small town.
Another household was doing OK with mom working while dad went to school – until they were robbed. That put them behind and Energy Share helped them.
Finally, there was an older couple not yet on Medicare, paying their own insurance. All was fine until their insurance costs spiked right before they both fell seriously ill.
Although they had always donated to causes such as Energy Share, they were now in a position where they needed to apply for help.
Together Montana donors and Energy Share can help people get back on their feet. When families facing energy emergencies are helped, it allows them to stretch their dollars for other needs.
“Energy Share continues to rely on donors all over Montana to come to the aid of our neighbors facing energy emergencies,” said Kimberly DeWitt, energy programs manager at Community Action Partnership of Northwest Montana.
“One-hundred percent of your gift will help someone in this area.”
Persons needing energy assistance are urged to call Community Action Partnership of NW Montana at 406-758-5433 or Energy Share’s statewide office at 1 888 779-7589, or log onto www.energysharemt.com.