Griswold Senior Center Emergency Fuel Fund utility assistance

One of the main utility bill assistance programs available to the elderly who use the Griswold Senior Center is known as Emergency Fuel Fund. This resource, when combined with other social services as well as payment plans, is effective at using donations from the public to help pay some critical energy bills. All of the contributions to Emergency Fuel Fund are quickly recycled back into the community for paying heating, electric, gas, and other utilities.

The funds from the program go to help very low income families that have a specific need. Maybe a senior citizen lives on a fixed income and is waiting on their next pension check, and needs help paying utilities during that time. It can assist a working poor family with an energy bill if they had an unexpected expense, such as a medical bill. Or Griswold Senior Center Emergency Fuel Fund can use some of the donated money to help a disabled person pay their utilities while they are waiting on another check or the results of a test.

So Griswold Senior Center Emergency Fuel Fund is for special circumstances only, and there has to be a specific need for assistance. If the customer is living in long term poverty or wants government aid, the donations from Emergency Fuel Fund  will not be used. But the company can still direct the client to other resources, such as Thames Valley Council for Community Action or LIHEAP application site.

Griswold Senior Center Emergency Fuel Fund can be most effective when it is combined with other programs as well. Since only a small amount of utility bill assistance will be given out by the program, when the funds are combined with payment plans or even LIHEAP grants, this is when it can be very effective. So in effect the donations to the program are used along with government aid and just flat out consideration/payment arrangements to help the customer keep their lights on.

 

 

 

 

Donate to the community by using Griswold Senior Center Emergency Fuel Fund

If possible, try to contribute to it. This is one of the few programs out there that is targeted and the donations stay local. Other benefits include 100% of the funds are paid out to customers and not administrative costs. A second benefit to donating is that the donor will get a break on their state and federal income taxes.

Contributions come from many sources. Employees, residential customers, churches, and other groups all contribute. In addition, Griswold Senior Center will often use corporate funds to match those donations, thus increasing the effectiveness of the program. They will often match other donations up to 50%, and give thousands of dollars to do this.

The donation process is simple. Either make a one time contribution (of any dollar amount) or use a round up service. The customer service team can go over the details. Then a statement will be mailed each year to the donor for tax filing purposes.

As noted, Griswold Senior Center Emergency Fuel Fund is effective in assisting with utility bills. It provides cash each and every month to a number of struggling customers that have a true crisis. It can help a very deserving customer make it through a very short term emergency and stay safe and warm. For more details on contributing or applying, dial Thames Valley Council for Community Action at 860-425-6681.