Energy Assistance Program Helps 2,000 Utahns
August 20, 2010
SALT LAKE CITY — Rocky Mountain Power, its customers and employees have joined together to provide energy assistance funds to help families who are in need throughout Utah. Donations received through the utility’s Lend a Hand program are used to help income-qualifying households with senior and disabled family members meet their energy needs. Contributions for the 2009-2010 program year totaled $400,000 – $302,330 from Rocky Mountain Power and $97,670 from its customers and employees.
“We want to thank all in the community who have donated to this program during the past 12 months,” said Karen Gilmore, Rocky Mountain Power vice president of customer service. “In the current economic environment, assistance with utility payments can make a big difference for Utah residents whose resources are stretched thin. The Lend a Hand program is one way we can work together to help our neighbors in need.”
Local American Red Cross offices distribute the funds raised through Lend a Hand directly to those who need assistance. As a result of these contributions, Lend a Hand has provided energy assistance to nearly 2,000 households throughout the state during the past 12 months.
“Partnership programs like Lend a Hand are an important part of the vital work the American Red Cross performs in our communities,” said Karen Romero, Utah Chapter of the American Red Cross. “There is always a great need for assistance, both emergency prevention and response, and we appreciate the ongoing support from Rocky Mountain Power, its customers and its employees who choose to give to those facing difficult circumstances.”
Donations to Lend a Hand can be made through donation envelopes included with Rocky Mountain Power bills in November, February and June or by calling the American Red Cross at 801-323-7000. Rocky Mountain Power customers also can choose to add a fixed monthly Lend a Hand donation to their electric bill. To enroll in the fixed donation program, call toll free at 888-221-7070.
About Rocky Mountain Power
Rocky Mountain Power is headquartered in Salt Lake City and provides electric service to more than one million customers in Utah, Wyoming and Idaho. As part of PacifiCorp, one of the lowest-cost electricity producers in the United States, Rocky Mountain Power and Pacific Power provide approximately 1.7 million customers in six western states with reliable, efficient electrical energy.
About the American Red Cross, Greater Salt Lake Area Chapter
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and counsels victims of disasters; teaches lifesaving skills; supplies blood to more than 30 area hospitals; and supports military members and their families. The American Red Cross is a non-profit organization, not a government-funded agency, which depends entirely upon volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its humanitarian mission. To donate time or resources to the Greater Salt Lake Area Chapter of the American Red Cross call 801-323-7000 or visit www.utahredcross.org.
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