Family of five struggles to pay bills
Share the Season is an annual campaign that offers one-time aid to people affected by unforeseen hardships. The people are not identified to protect their privacy.
The family of five was hit with a high electric bill.
Their meter was changed in July, and the bill skyrocketed.
On Halloween, their electricity was shut off. It has since been turned back on, and the family is on a payment plan. But it has been tough for the 26-year-old parents and their three children.
The father works. The mom stays at home.
The electricity bill was $590.
The mother’s sister told her about Share the Season.
“We needed some help and got behind,” she said. “We could not get caught up.”
She is grateful for the help.
“I feel blessed,” she said. “I am thankful there is a foundation to help people struggling as they pay bills. It gives us a good start. And for it to happen over the holidays, I feel just blessed.”
Share the Season is a joint project of The Eagle, the Wichita Community Foundation and the Salvation Army.
So far this season, it has raised more than $58,472.
Send contributions to Share the Season at the Wichita Community Foundation, 301 N. Main, Suite 100, Wichita, KS 67202. To donate online, go to www.sharetheseason.org. If you have questions about donating, call 316-264-4880.
Donors will be listed in The Eagle; please note if you prefer to remain anonymous.
To apply for help, fill out an application at www.sharetheseason.org or pick one up at the Salvation Army, 350 N. Market. The application deadline is Dec. 17. For more information, call 316-263-2769.
Among recent donors: Larry and Arleigh Aldrich, in memory of Dan Cartmill; Keith Anderson; Duane and Billie Barker, in memory of Robert Razook; Bruce and Meribeth Buhr; Carol Burch; Georgia Chandler; Mary Chaney, in honor of John and Delores Naramore; Kevin and Kimberly Coe; Gary and Nancy Conover; Kelee Crager.
Thomas and Myra Devlin; David Dolinar; Rodney and Velva Ellenz; Enright’s McDonald’s Family, in memory of Robert Razook; Rich Euson, in honor of Colleen Euson; Barbara Finney, in honor of Ora B. Finney and Velma L. Bryant; John and Nancy Frey, in memory of Janet Rhodes; Britt and Brenda Fulmer, in memory of Robert Razook; Robert and Viola Giebler; Linda Gieser, in honor of Sonny Dukes; Karen Gilchrist; Cyd Gilman; Faye and Ella Graves; Robert and Susan Grelinger.
Gary and Debbie Henning; Lloyd and Shiela Henning; Richard Honeyman and Bonnie Bing-Honeyman; Sandra Hutchins; Charlene Jabara, in memory of Robert Razook; Robert and Sandra Kitchen; Mark and Brenda Koehring, in memory of Robert Razook; Donna Main; Greg Martin, in honor of Winnie and Roaty Martin; Dorothy McIntire; Diana Miller, in memory of Anna McConnell; Ann Murray, in memory of Terry Murray and Aaron Cunningham; Lila Osborne; Shirley Overstreet, in memory of Larry.
Diana Peak, in honor of Homer L. Peak; Larry and Norma Peak; Thomas and Kathleen Pott; Jeffrey and Jill Ramsey, in memory of Robert Razook; Brad and Sheri Razook, in memory of Robert Razook; Gary and Kathryn Regier, in honor of Jack and Zoey; Joe and Martha Riedl, in memory of Betty Montgomery, The Seekers-FUMC; John and Sara Rogers; David and Rosemary Roskam; Thomas Schaefer; Richard and Kathy Shoffner; Lyle and Tamara Smith, in memory of Robert Razook; Sandra Steven, in memory of Robert Razook; Dale and Kathy Strattman; Tim and Susan Swartzendruber, in memory of Robert Razook.
Tom and Vicki Tanner; Jeanette Totah, in memory of Robert Razook; James and Theresa Urban, in memory of Robert Razook; Tammera Wise; William and Judith Ann Wynne; Melva Zimmerman, in honor of Jake Cognilio; anonymous, in memory of Homer Smith and Orville Becker; anonymous, in memory of James Jones; anonymous, in memory of Edith Downs; anonymous, in memory of Kenny Rinker; anonymous, in honor of William John Evans and John Leslie Montgomery; and 24 other anonymous donors.
This story was originally published November 28, 2016 at 3:03 PM with the headline "Family of five struggles to pay bills."