What is it like to have your electricity or your gas turned off because you couldn’t pay the past due bill?

What is it like to have your electricity or your gas turned off because you couldn’t pay the past due bill?

When your power is turned off, you try to stay warm with added clothes and more blankets. But how do you cook? How do you keep your food refrigerated? How do you warm water? How do you provide for your children?

Many families seek help by calling a local St. Vincent de Paul Council, 211 Texas, a local community agency or Catholic Charities to get assistance. Often, they have to call multiple agencies or churches to get the assistance they need, only to be told, “We are out of funds for the month. Contact us again next month.”

With the extreme heat this summer, many families are still coping with previous utility bills and this is now worsened by the arrival of harsher weather.

Many ministries, like St. Vincent de Paul and Catholic Charities, report that the number of people requesting help is up significantly from last year. With rises in unemployment and underemployment, families have fewer resources to address their most basic needs—food, heat, and shelter. For our brothers and sister on the streets, the cold weather poses even more difficulties as they require blankets, coats, socks, shoes and other clothing items to help them stay warm.

As a board member of Catholic Charities, I know first hand, the difference that we can make by helping people during these cold, winter months.

As you know, we are experiencing record cold weather here in Central Texas with low temperatures in the twenties in most places. This is definitely a time we need to help our brothers and sisters who are out of work, or low income, in order to assist with utility payments or heaters.

We cannot allow people to be left freezing in their homes, especially children, elderly and those with illnesses, when we are warm in the comfort of our homes.

Please join me in making a contribution online now at http://ccctx.org/donate_online.php

Requests for assistance are increasing and coming in daily. Your help will make a big difference to a family.

Thank you,

Art Borrego
Treasurer, Board of Directors
Catholic Charities of Central Texas