Something New

I have said many times, I don't talk about my work as much as I would like to just simply because I think my job is so cool that I feel like I am bragging when I go into too much, somethings though, just have to be shared.

If you live in the State of Illinois and watch any news at all, you have heard that the Governor is trying to take every penny he can find to balance the budget. One of the attacks has been on State LIHEAP funds. Let me just go a little further and let everyone know where 100% of those funds come from. If you are an Ameren, IL Gas, Mt. Carmel PU, Nicor, ComEd, or Peoples Gas (there are a few more, but not as big) client, every month you pay a 48 cent surcharge on your bill. This money has been earmarked, since its inception to go toward utility assistance programs. About 5 years ago, we started a pilot program, through Ameren in our area, called PIPP. PIPP stands for the Percentage of Income Payment Program. I may have explained this before but it is a GREAT program and three years ago, it went from being a pilot to a statewide program.  And for all of my friends who think that nobody should get anything for free, you would LOVE this program. Just as the name says, the client pays a percentage of their monthly income to the utility bill. Most middle class families pay between 3-6% of their monthly income to utilities, low-income families have the same bills, (or worse, because their houses are not as energy efficient). On PIPP, the client pays 6% of their monthly income and then we pay the rest of a monthly budget bill up to $150 a month. This program is sustained with 100% state funds. Lose State funds, lose PIPP, it is that simple. We also pay Ameren regular program, as well as Illinois Gas, Mount Carmel PU, and Shelby Electric regular program out of these funds, those are all utility companies that charge the 48 cent surcharge. So, right off the bat, I personally feel, as do many others, this money is not the Governor's to take.

ANYWAY, he tried to sweep funds for this year and right at the moment that has been stopped. There are no LIHEAP funds listed in his 2016 Budget, which for us, would affect us starting this coming July, when the new fiscal starts and we start recertifying most of our agency's almost 1600 PIPP clients.

A little over a week ago, I was contacted by Julie Vahling, one of the Assistant State Directors for AARP. She too, is very concerned about the effects these cuts would have on her clients, the 50+ population. She had been asked by the Speaker of the House to find clients who were willing to come and put a face to these details, I was honored that Julie called me. She had arranged for us to bring our clients to a House of Representatives Appropriations Committee Meeting. 

So, yesterday, two of our clients, my Executive Director, and I, went to Springfield. I have to tell you, I was so humbled by our clients stories, and the fact that, because I get to do my job, these clients have a better quality of life.

One of our clients is divorced, and had stepped out of the full time workforce to work with ailing parents, as well as to help a daughter who had recently became a single mom herself. She is now 59, going though job-training with Experience Works, and getting prepared to take on a whole new career....at 59.

Our other client is 58 and has recently been widowed, her life changed drastically with the death of her husband but also through the turmoil of his three year battle with cancer. Of course, that started draining them, and so, as well as adjusting to life without a spouse she had been with for 20+ years, she had to take on a new financial burden as well.

They both got to tell their stories to Julie, as well as Dalitso Sulamoya, our president of IACAA, our community action agency association. Susan Henry, our divorcee, got to tell her story to the appropriations committee as well. Because Susan works through Experience Works in our Tuscola office, she was also able to tell of the many people who have been in our office needing assistance, and how that number has increased over the past year.

We had a good day, I think both ladies thoroughly enjoyed the outing, even on top of the job we went to do. We ate lunch at Boone's, looked up some of our Senators and Representatives, sat in on both chambers as they were voting and explored the Capitol.

Yes, this is one of those days, where I still can't believe the job I get to do. 30 years ago, had you told me I would take clients of mine to an Appropriations Committee meeting, I would have seriously doubted you.

Helping People, Changing Lives, it's our Association's motto, but it is mine too. Yesterday, I seriously believe we took a step towards that.

Here is a picture of all of us (clients names used by permission)

    L-R: Julie Vahling, AARP; me; Jill Kelley, Susan Henry, Marsha Roll, Executive Director, ERBA; Dalitso Sulamoya, President, IACAA.