Family in crisis gets help keeping the heat on

Cheryl and her 5-year old son and 7-year old daughter don’t know what it’s like to be cold – thanks to Community Action Partnership’s crisis utilities program. When she needed an absence from work due to injury, the family’s cash reserves were quickly used up for rent and food. In November, they found themselves with a disconnect notice from the utilities company.

Although the Missouri Cold Weather Rule means heat won’t be disconnected at 32 degrees or below, 33 degrees is still very cold. “As a mom, I was terrified. How can my kids sleep when the house is freezing? We wouldn’t be able to cook either, or have hot water. I should be able to provide for my family, but I felt like a total failure. Without the crisis utilities program from CAP, I honestly don’t know how we would have made it.”

For families that qualify, Community Action Partnership can provide a one-time crisis utilities payment with proof of income and a disconnect notice. Clients are educated on conserving heat and energy and offered weatherization and money management classes as part of the agency’s whole-system approach.