Energy assistance providers preparing for high demand
Emergency energy assistance providers are preparing for a higher than normal volume of requests for help this winter and urging those whomaybeinneed to apply for funding now.
Officials believe that at least some of the increase will be due to workerswholosttheirjobsorhadtheirpaychecksreducedasaresult of the pandemic.
“We’ve definitely seen an uptick for assistance for electricity so far, not fuel,” said Brenda Watson, executive director of Operation Fuel, a nonprofit organization that provides emergency assistance to lower-income working families, the elderly and disabled people who are in financial crisis but ineligible for help from government-funded programs. “In fact, in fiscal year 2019-2020, weprovided1,805 households with fuel or natural gas for heat. But we provided 3,352 households with electricity.”
Watson said that while her agency doesn’t have a breakdown by town yet, it has noted several trends from those who applied for help through Operation Fuel’s public portal, which allows people to apply online. It showed that the average age of applicants was between 40 and 60, and a majority of applicants are women.
“We are beginning to take notice of that as women are leaving the work force in record numbers, domestic violence is up,” she said. We will look at organizations that focus on women’s issues, to ensure the information about our program is available.”
MiddletownresidentAmandaColavitoisamongthosewhosought out Operation Fuel for help.
Colavito said sheis asingle, hard-workingwomanwhotakesalotof pride in being self-sustaining.
“COVID-19changedthatwholedynamicforme. I wentfromworking 55 hours a week to [working from] home as a full-time secretary and lost mywaitress job that I’ve had for 15 years,” she said. “To make along, drawn-out story short, I hadtoaskforhelp. Myparentshelped me stay afloat more than once, they lent me rent money, helped with groceries anddidasmuchastheycouldwithintheirmeanstohelpme.”
Colavito said that because she only lost one income she wasunable to collect unemploymentandherapartmentcomplexofferednoleniency for the loss of partial income. She reached the point of having to sell personal belongings to make ends meet while working with an accelerateddebtrecoveryprogramtopayoffsomeoldcredit-carddebt. She’s nowworking more hours, but still playing financial catch up. Colavitosaid sheappreciatedEversourceforstoppingashut-offand allowing her to make small or no payments temporarily.
Shesaidshe’salsogratefultoOperationFuel, whichinitially rejected herapplicationbecauseitappearedthatshemadetoomuchmoneybut tooktheextrastepoflearningmoreaboutherstory, finally approvinga $700granttohelpher“makeadentinthebalancesdraggingmedown.”
Colavito urged others in her situation to do their research about available programs and to be persistent.
“Advocate for yourself,” she said.
Anyone in need of help from Operation Fuel can call 221 for assistance.
They can also reach out to Community Renewal Team for help. Patricia MonroeWalker, director of CRT’senergyassistanceprograms, said the agency is already processing applications and fuel deliveries being Nov. 2. She is urging residents to apply early due to COVID-19 restrictions, which prevent those in need from walking into an office to fill out anapplication in person. For assistance from CRT, residents are asked to call 860-568-5800.