Work as a social director for a local agency can be difficult.
My friend and I are regularly trying to find ways for families, who are in financial trouble, to stay safe, warm, and fed during the long winter time season.
Keeping the bills paid is really hard at times and even with assistance there are times these families are without power for afternoons. No power means no heat and this can cause deadly circumstances at times. I recently arranged for a free seminar at our facility to provide these at risk families some tips for surviving without heat for a time if needed. These tips that were given are even beneficial to anyone who may experience a power outage due to storms as well. I arranged for representatives from several energy agencies, Heating, Ventilation and A/C dealers, and even financial assistance agencies to come to the event. This would give as much information as possible for anyone who attended. Some of the tips that were given were ways to maintain the heat that is in your house during an outage. The Heating, Ventilation and A/C supplier recommended putting the plastic film on the windows at the beginning of winter time no matter what because it provided an extra barrier to keep the heat in. The energy supplier provided a list of things I enjoy when the power first went out. They said to make sure a block any doorways with towels to help keep the heat in as well. Making sure that the heat you have in the house, stays in the house can save your life. They also requested closing off any rooms that are not being used and keeping the family in one area. I hope that this was helpful to our families.