Energy Bank gears up for winter chill
By KIERNAN M. SCHALK Sentinel reporter kschalk@lewistownsentinel.comArticle Photos
Fact Box
If You Go:
What: Free public workshop on heating crisis
When: From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 20
Where: Bethel AME Church, 23 N. Juniata St., Lewistown
For more information: Attendees will learn how area businesses, agencies and churches are uniting to help avoid a heating crisis this winter. An Energy Bank representative will be on hand to take donations and give information about how to access funds. For more information, call Mifflin Juniata Human Services at 242-5452. The Mifflin Juniata Energy Bank can be reached at 248-2552.
LEWISTOWN - With the fall chill in the air and winter just around the corner, many people are concerned about how they can afford to heat their homes, at a time when the cost to do so continues to rise.
Some of these people have fallen on hard times or lack the resources to properly heat their homes. As a result they turn to the United Way for help, but the United Way can only do so much.
The federal and state funding available to the United Way and other agencies for energy assistance programs has remained the same with no foreseeable increases in the future, which worries Executive Director Marie Mulvihill because energy costs continue to skyrocket alongside rising food and transportation costs.
Mifflin and Juniata County Human Services Director Allison Fisher said the combination of no increases in funding and high fuel costs means that the Energy Bank will not be able to provide financial assistance for everyone who needs it.
Fisher is particularly concerned about the elderly population living on fixed incomes.
As a result, the United Way has established two goals to reach before the winter sets in: first, provide assistance to the "most vulnerable citizens," those who are 60 years old or older and families with children who are 14 years old or younger; and second, to educate the public on more efficient ways to heat their homes or other options that are available for them to stay warm.
"Education is going to be the key here ... people need to start thinking about this now and prepare for the winter," Fisher said.
"We have the potential for a terrible humanitarian crisis in our communities this winter," Fisher said.
"Fortunately, we also see the potential for an amazing triumph of the human spirit. Our community has a history for responding generously in time of need," she added.
The United Way has several different home heating assistance programs that are available, which people can apply for through the Mifflin Juniata Energy Bank; however not everyone is eligible and those who receive assistance from one program can not obtain additional funds from a separate program.
Mulvihill said the good news is that people who need help only have to make one phone call and the wheels will be set in motion to see which program a person can receive funding from, if they are eligible.
Once someone makes the initial contact with the Energy Bank, the staff will set up a face-to-face interview to discuss the options available to the customer.
"We do a comprehensive look at the family's needs," Mulvihill said, adding that if a family has expenses that are not necessities, such as an extra phone line or an expanded cable television package, those are the first things to cut back.
Mulvihill said helping a family figure out how to shift money from one part of their budget to another, by cutting out unnecessary expenses, plays a vital role in helping a family balance their needs and keep them self sufficient.
In an effort to get the word out and educate the public about the Energy Bank, there will be a workshop on Sept. 20 at the Bethel AME Church, 23 N. Juniata St., Lewistown.
Fisher said that from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., representatives from companies such as Snedeker OIL, K and C Oil, Roy Berrier and Sons and Creekside Hearth and Patio will be available to provide expert advice on preparing for the winter and weatherizing a home. At 12:30 p.m., financial advisors from Juniata Valley Bank, The Stewardship Group and Mifflin Juniata County Human Services will speak on budgeting, saving and living within a person's means.
In addition, a fire investigator will provide safety tips and Lowe's Home Improvement will have energy efficient products on display. SEDA-COG and Penelec also will have people there to answer questions.
