Perhaps some people can go their entire lives without ever needing to ask for help. Their bills are paid on time. They always have groceries in the fridge and pantry. Their lives may not be easy, but they are at least relatively comfortable.
Other people may know little to nothing of comfort. Rather, their lives are a daily struggle for survival, living one paycheck behind foreclosure. The low rumble of hunger has become a constant companion, barely noticeable anymore.
And still there are those who live paycheck to paycheck. They are making it, but barely. As long as everything in life goes just so, the bills are paid on time. There may not be much food in the fridge, but no one is hungry. However, when the car breaks down, dad loses his job or little Johnny breaks his arm and there are unexpected bills to pay, things spiral downward in a hurry.
No matter where a person may fall in any of these categories, every person has a breaking point – a point where they just cannot go on without asking for help. It’s not always easy and many apologize because they have to.
For many of the clients that Good Samaritan Ministry serves, life is about making tough decisions and dealing with the unexpected things thrown their way. It’s all too easy to lump everyone in one category and assume it’s because of poor choices or a means to “work the system” that keeps many people in dire financial situations.
“People have a way of not fitting into the molds that make us comfortable in our own thinking,” said Angelia Bostick, executive director of GSM.
GSM helps people in all stages of life with their basic physical needs: food, clothing, shelter. One way they are able to help is through the TXU Energy Aid program.
“Every month on your TXU bill is an option to donate $1 in addition to your regular charges,” said Bostick. “TXU then matches that $1 with $5 so every $1 you donate turns into $6 for the Energy Aid program.”
TXU uses the money as grants to places like GSM that helps people with their TXU electric bill.
One such person was a 77-year-old woman who has been living on only $630 a month. During the harsh winter months with colder-than-normal temperatures, she got behind on her electric bill and had been paying just enough to keep the lights turned on. With the help of TXU Energy Aid, she was able to catch up on her bill.
Another story is of a single mom who is not working, but takes care of her two young children. Her months-old baby had been diagnosed with a rare blood disease which necessitated many trips to medical facilities out of town. Suddenly she was faced with the decision to either pay for gas to get her baby the help he needed, or pay her electric bill. Thanks to the TXU Energy Aid Program, GSM was able to help keep her electricity on.
Then there is the story of a 27-year-old male who had been living with his father until he passed away. The young man was trying to stay in the family home but lost his job during his father’s illness and death. He has been unable to find another job. TXU Energy Aid helped him keep the lights turned on another month.
And lest anyone think the recipients of this assistance aren’t thankful, a gentleman in his early fifties came in recently and laid a one dollar bill on the desk of the staff member who had helped him. TXU Energy Aid had helped him keep his electricity on when he had got behind on his bill. He had hated to ask for help, even though he has been living on only $640 a month. He said his father had survived The Great Depression and taught him to make every little bit stretch and he wanted to give back what little he had as a thank you for the help he received. As they spoke, the staff member learned that the gentleman is living off of $60 worth of groceries for the month and he refused to pick up food while he was here because he said he knows how to live on very little. After hearing his story, the staff member was humbled at his simple gift of $1.
Whether it’s a single mom facing the uncertainty of a rare disorder, a senior citizen living on a fixed income or a young man facing unemployment and grief over the loss of a loved one, life has thrown some curve balls. Perhaps, at times it has seemed like too much. But, through the help of the TXU Energy Aid Program and the generous people who give an extra $1 on their bill each month, each of the above listed families, and countless more that come to GSM, have been able to keep their electricity turned on during the hard times, and, perhaps most importantly, have been given the encouragement that someone cares enough to help and that there is no shame in needing a hand up.
Find out more information at www.txu.com. Go to Communities, then to TXU Energy Aid. Or call GSM at 643-2273.
