Tri County Electric People Fund program.

One program that Tri County Electric customers can apply to is People Fund. This is a neighbor to neighbor type assistance program in which money is donated from the community. The funds are then used to help less fortunate families with paying their utility as well as heating bills.

Since this relies on donations from the community, it is very limited in scope and only a small number of families will qualify. There will be a strict application process in place by Tri County Electric as the company wants to ensure that all of the generous donations from the community are used wisely. More information on the application process is below.

Donations to the People Fund can be made in various ways. One time contributions can be made of any dollar amount. If someone wants to provide $5 or $100, then the funds will be put to good use. All of the money will stay locally in the community. No matter the dollar amount donated, it is appreciated.

It can be used to help a household that is facing a crisis keep their electricity on. A focus is on providing utility bill help for seniors as well as households with children in the community. Tri County Electric will also try to assist customers with a senior medical condition.

A statement will be provided to the donor each year. This can help helpful when it comes to filing taxes, as most people will receive a deduction on their state of Michigan as well as federal taxes.

Also, donors will have comfort in knowing that the application process to Tri County Electric People Fund is strict. The company will only help with utilities for people that meet income conditions and have a short term crisis. All applications will be screened by staff for merit.

 

 

 

 

Another confidence builder is that donors will know that employees from Tri County Electric also tend to contribute as well. This includes both management as well as hourly employees. So those individuals would not tend to participate if the program was not run efficiently. Also, the company will also tend to match the contribution using corporate funds. So if people donate $5, then that may be matched to a certain extent.

People Fund applications can be received by calling Tri County Electric. Or there may be some local non-profits that can  refer people to the donation program. An advantage of contacting an outside agency is that they often have staff that can also work with the client on the exploration of other programs, such as LIHEAP. As there are different option available to qualified families.

Tri County Electric People Fund is only available on a first come and served basis. Applicants should be prepared with proof of income as well as assets. They need to bring a copy of older utility bills, identifications, and copies of all income, whether SSI or their job. To learn more on applying for assistance or to apply, dial 800-562-8232.