Problem Solver: Heating Assistance

A troubled economy has many of you thinking about how you will be able to afford to heat your home this winter. With the recent drop in temps we've already had people asking 7 On Your Side to help. As Dianne Derby reports the economy has left many agencies that typically help wondering where the money will come from this year. It's a -7- on your side Problem Solver.

The cold snap hitting our area has hit Janice Jarrell especially hard. She lives on about $600 a month from Social Security and says she can barely afford her medicine much less scrape up the money to heat her home. For now, blankets are all she has.

"This is where I sleep and I pull all this up and I put it all up under me," said Jarrell as she described how she wraps herself in blankets while sleeping in her bed.

"This is my bedroom here and I sleep under a sheet and comforter," said her neighbor Kathy Clayton.

same thing for Clayton only she actually has something to heat her home.

"That's my main source of heat right there is a kerosene heater and it's 10 years old," said Clayton.

But Kathy, also living on disability, says she doesn't have the $20 she needs each week to fill her kerosene heater. So together they called 7 On Your Side for help. Our calls to area agencies didn't get far.

October is no time for people to be looking for heating assistance," said T.O.T.A.L Ministries' Paul Clay. "There is no agency I know of that has heating assistance and I'm talking the entire Upstate."

Clay says it will be months before they, or any agency, can provide assistance to help people stay warm.

"Duke power helps us out they give us money for heating assistance in the winter but those checks don't start coming in until december.

he says since september T.O.T.A.L Ministries has received half the donations they normally get while requests for help have grown by 50 percent.

The only glimmer of hope for Kathy and Janice came when Paul donated blankets to give to them. And until December they both will have to hope bundling up will get them through the cold nights.

T.O.T.A.L Ministries says the following agencies also offer heating assistance:

First Baptist Church
(864)596-4109

Greater Spartanburg Ministries
(864)585-9371

Piedmont Community Action
(864)585-8183

The Salvation Army
(864)573-5493

Operation Hope of Landrum
(864)457-2812

Greer Relief
(864)848-5355

Helping Hands Ministries
(864)476-2401

District 5 Ministries
(864)439-7760

For a list of agencies provided by Duke Energy that may be able to help with your power bill click here.

Also remember if you are behind on your bill Duke Energy typically won't turn off your power if you are a special needs customer. This means you are 65 or older or have a medical issue where you are chronically ill, disabled or on a life-support system. For more information about the Medical Alert program with Duke Energy call 1-800-943-6914 or click here.