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On a daily basis, Tom, a Mason County resident, faced a leaky roof on his old house. That, combined with a tight budget, made for a stressful and unsafe household. With diminished water pressure, Tom often found himself washing dishes in his bathtub, as it is the only faucet that provides enough water pressure. Due to a previous injury compounded by years of hard labor, Tom has limited physical ability and lacked the funds necessary to complete needed home repairs, his well had to be replaced, his roof required serious attention, and he needed to catch up on his utility bills. Just as unfortunate events beyond his control led to extremely difficult circumstances in Tom’s life, connecting with TrueNorth started as a small moment but, instead, led to a positive path forward. Tom was able to set up an affordable payment plan with the emPower program. This assistance has substantially reduced Tom’s stress levels, giving him the time and space to breathe and relax. He no longer has to worry about his looming electricity bill, since this much more manageable expense is now factored into his budget. Due to the payment plan for his utilities, Tom has been able to divert funds to other needs, like fixing his roof, making continuous car repairs on his very old car and tackling some expensive health needs. With help from his caseworker, Tom is awaiting the installation of a new well provided through a combination of support from various community organizations. The new well will be a real game-changer for Tom.

This story was featured in our 2020 Annual Report, view the full report here.