Dear Friends,

As we’ve focused our attention on the needs of elders, I’ve been thinking a lot about the seniors we’ve helped over the years. Let me tell you about Sally in Medford.

Sally’s family moved to Medford when she was two years old. She grew up, graduated from high school, met her husband, Jim, and they bought a modest home right outside of town. She worked as a receptionist at a small business for forty years, and the couple earned enough to get by, and enough, they thought, to retire.

Jim passed away, so Sally lives alone with an income mostly from social security benefits. One day, the unexpected happened: Sally had a medical emergency that put her in the hospital for a few days. Expecting Medicare to cover the costs, she was shocked to discover it did not, and she owed a larger debt than she had owed to anyone in years. Unsure of where to turn, and still in recovery, she began paying her medical bills without realizing she would fall behind on other payments, including her utility bills.

Sally had never found herself in financial crisis before, and now surrounded by mounting bills, she considered selling her home or trying to go back to work, both prospects that terrified her.

She didn’t feel like she could ask anyone for help. That is, until she connected with local agency ACCESS, where she applied for Oregon Energy Fund energy assistance. We helped with her power bills, and, with that worry off her shoulders, she was able to set up a payment plan for the remainder of her medical bills and regain her financial health.

Many of us know if we’re ever in crisis someone will be there to catch us – our parents, children, or friends – but what about those of us who face crisis alone? Oregon Energy Fund is there to help when no one else can.

Your donations make our work possible. Thank you for your continued support of our neighbors in need.

-Brian Allbritton
Executive Director, Oregon Energy Fund

We are thrilled to welcome two new board members to Oregon Energy Fund, David DiMatteo and Jess Marpe.

David is a Family Stability Programs Manager at Latino Network and brings with him knowledge of program development and management.

Jess has over seven years of experience providing direct client services, currently working as an Energy Program Coordinator at Washington County’s Community Action Organization.

We are grateful to have two more talented board members who are willing to volunteer their time and expertise – welcome to David and Jess!

At Oregon Energy Fund, we’ve received calls again and again from seniors living on fixed incomes while facing rising housing and healthcare costs.

Emergency assistance helps in times of crisis, but what about our seniors who live frugally and are still unable to keep up with the cost of living?

In response to growing need, we are creating a program in collaboration with Meals on Wheels People to provide monthly utility bill assistance to low-income seniors.

Our initial pilot program is planned to serve 100 households with a $25/month stipend for a 12-month period. Meals on Wheels People staff will sign up seniors in their homes, eliminating the need for recipients to travel to an agency to seek help.

This new program aims to help those like OEF recipient Jeanine in Multnomah County. Jeanine, a senior living in an older home, uses supplemental oxygen for her health, and her husband was recently placed in a care home. She has very little left each month after bills are paid and is only receiving Social Security as income. As a result, she very slowly built up a balance on her electric bill and was unable to catch up.

We were able to help Jeanine pay the balance of her bill with emergency assistance, but regular monthly assistance would have prevented her from getting behind in the first place. We are excited to implement this program and share the outcomes with you here on our website and in future newsletters.

Here at Oregon Energy Fund, we’re honored to have so many donors committed to helping our neighbors in crisis. Many supporters link their Fred Meyer Rewards account to OEF or shop with AmazonSmile. We don’t see your names, but we are so grateful for your support. Your regular donations add up and make a huge impact. From all of us at OEF: thank you.

If you are interested in setting Oregon Energy Fund up as a recipient of Amazon’s donations on your account, it’s so easy! Just go to the link here and Amazon will prompt you to select the nonprofit of your choice. All you have to do is shop at the link Smile.Amazon.com for all the same Amazon products and Amazon donates.

If you are a Fred Meyer shopper, link your rewards card to benefit Oregon Energy Fund – again, all donations come directly from Fred Meyer and all you have to do is sign up! Click here for a 5-minute set up.