All because of you

With your donations to Energy Share last year, you helped 2,885 Montana families who were facing energy emergencies. Causes of these emergencies included unexpected expenses, deaths in the family, non-working or unsafe heating systems, illnesses or injuries, domestic abuse situations, and loss of employment or reduced wages.

None of us are immune to these roadblocks in life. According to a GOBankingRates 2019 survey, https://www.gobankingrates.com/saving-money/savings-advice/58-of-americans-have-less-than-1000-in-savings ,57 percent of Americans have less than $1,000 in savings. That is not much to get a household through rough times. Such is the case for the types of situations with which Energy Share helps.

Do you remember how severe last winter was? A combination of vehicle breakdown, plumbing/sewer issues, high heating bills, and the water heater going out made it impossible for a couple with two children to stay current with their home energy bill. At a point of desperation, they applied for and received help through Energy Share and were able to keep their heat on.

Energy Share partners with the ten Human Resource Development Councils — HRDCs — around the state to deliver services. Each HRDC works with a local volunteer Energy Share Committee to review applications on a case-by-case basis. Depending on the community, Local Committee representation can be from electric cooperatives, utility companies, propane vendors, other social services or job training organizations, churches, and senior citizen or low-income advocates. The HRDCs and Local Committees are the heartbeat of Energy Share.

If you or someone you know needs help with their home energy bill, please call the HRDC in Havre at 1-800-640-6743 (https://hrdc4.org/) or Energy Share at 1-888-779-7589 (https://www.energysharemt.com/how-to-apply/). They will also tell you about another energy assistance program called LIEAP, which might be an even better resource depending on your situation.

Energy Share relies on donations to carry out its primary purpose of helping Montanans who are facing energy emergencies. One hundred percent of private donations are used to help someone in need. If you would like to be involved this way, please visit https://www.energysharemt.com/donate-now/ or look for a pledge card/donation envelope in your November utility bill. You can also mail a check to Energy Share of Montana, PO Box 5959, Helena, MT 59604-5959.

Tony Flynn, Energy Share Board President and NorthWestern Energy representative on the Board, strongly supports Energy Share. “Energy Share has helped so many Montanans over the years who were facing such rough times. Please help share the warmth and if you can, send a gift to Energy Share today.”

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Rachel Haberman for Energy Share Montana