The power was already shut off by the time Nancy came in to see me. Nancy was very worried about her two kids being in the dark and how they would feel about such a drastic change in their life. She also was very worried about all the food in her freezer spoiling and going to waste.

Nancy has been out of work for several months due to downsizing at her past job. As a single mom, her resources were becoming scarce. She has already applied for government help but since it takes more than 30 days for those requests to be processed, she hadn’t received word yet of whether they are going to help her.

MG&E was asking for 70% of the money owed before they would turn the power back on. It was looking like the family was going to be without power for at least a few days, even if she could come up with the money. Nancy knew that if she could come up with $100, MOM would put in $150 - but still knew that would not be enough. Together we worked on finding additional assistance from another agency. Through the combination of help from different sources (and including the money that she was able to borrow from a relative), there was enough money for MGE to agree to turn her power back on that same day.

What a relief!

Look out your front window. This morning I saw a daffodil poke it's lovely head through a matted pile of leaves that has been sitting there since last fall. Time to get out the rake. But imagine that you were no longer able to spend a few hours of physical labor to get your yard into tip-top spring shape. You might worry that you'd have to move.

Area seniors rely on the POP chores program and POP volunteers in order to stay independent in their homes. The invigorating essence of spring-time fresh air always gives me a boost to start up the coordination of group volunteer activities for the Seniors we serve through our POP Program. These seniors need help with spring chores, both indoors and outdoors.

This year, the Middleton Home-School program has lead the way with an early visit to the independent living apartments at Rosewood Villas. Soon, other groups will be spending a Saturday morning washing windows, flipping mattresses, moving storage items, vacuuming under beds, raking lawns, clearing out flower beds and assisting with patio furniture.

Whether it means pulling up one's sleeves, or wearing work gloves to protect hands from the rubbing of a rake, POP Volunteers come prepared to work hard and show their neighbors how much they care. Independent home owners and seniors living in independent apartments receive spring chore assistance. Volunteers come from Middleton area schools, churches and independent families within the community.

Interested in contributing a few hours to help an area Senior stay in their home and have pride in their yard? We're signing up volunteers now! Contact me, Diane Bright, at 826-3410 or diane@mompop.org. A huge thank you to everyone for their time and energy and for helping us connect our neighbors for good!

Another harsh winter puts additional pressure on families...

Just trying to keep up with the basic costs - like electricity - are things we take for granted. Imagine being a family of five, living on minimum wage, working multiple jobs, and having the threat of losing your power on April 15th because you couldn't keep up on the winter's utility bills. What would you do?

Middleton Outreach Ministry (MOM) reaches out to families in that very situation - helping them find ways to pay their utility bills. By working in partnership with utilities such as Madison Gas and Electric (MG&E), and other nonprofits, MOM helps families with financial assistance and set payment plans. The assistance MOM provides along with the family's contribution to the bill is often enough to make the difference in keeping the utilities going.

In 2008, MOM provided more than $21,000 in assistance to approximately 150 families (at an average of $140 per family).
More families than ever will need our help this year. Watch your mail for your opportunity to make a difference in a family's life, or give online now!

It seems hard to remember back to the blustery days of January and February, now that the sun is shining and the days are getting warmer, but there are many families that find it hard to forget. Every day they felt the heat radiating from the vents or radiators, they knew what was coming. It seemed like there was always a chill in the air - but how are they going to make payment on their utility bill?

Every day we receive numerous calls asking for help with utility bills. Right now we are telling those in need to hold on a little longer. The moratorium on shut off ends on April 15 and we are asking families to wait until April 1 to make appointments for utility assistance. We can feel the crunch coming, much like our clients could feel the cold draft. You may have seen in the news that the utility companies are anticipating as much as a 30% increase in shutoff notices over last year. Based on the number of inquiries that we have had during the first part of March, we are hearing that the shut off notices are already being sent. We are expecting a large increase in requests for help. And last year we gave out a record $22,000 in assistance! We know that the economy is worse; we know that we have seen more people in need in general. When the choice is between keeping the lights and heat on and paying the rent, there is no doubt what people will do. But what happens now when the utility company has the ability to shut off the electricity and the gas? It's not just the heat -- that's bad enough, but with the days getting warmer, it might not be the absolute end of the world - though I think most of us would agree we wouldn't want it to happen to us. But what about the electricity - the refrigerator and the stove? How are we going to eat if we can't store food and cook it?

Mom has increased its budget for utility assistance this year over last, but we would like to do more. If you can help, send a donation to MOM with Utility Assistance in the memo. Together we can help to keep the lights on and the hope in people's lives.

When I got a call from this woman, I’ll call her Carla, it sounded like a situation that was beyond MOM’s ability to help. She’s disabled, a single mother of four children; they’re homeless; and their car needs more than $1,500 in repair.

Then someone here at MOM told me about a small family foundation that likes to help people in need. We were able to get a grant of $1,200, and add a small amount of funds from MOM to get the most critical car repair done. Once the car is functional this mom can move on with the next step in the plan to address the housing need. I told Carla that a scripture came to mind, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18).

“Thank you so much!” Carla said, “That means a lot. I really have felt broken-hearted and crushed.” Thanks to the foundation I was able to demonstrate in this practical way that God really IS close to Carla and her children in their distress.

As one of MOM's new social workers, I have already experienced the impact that our programs can have on a person’s life. Kelly is a single mom and due to recent difficulties in her life fell behind on her rent in October 2008. Kelly was admitted into our Rent Program where she was able to receive Case Management and assistance with her rent for up to 6 consecutive months.

Come late December I spoke with Kelly and she gave me the good news. She no longer wanted the assistance because she had been stable at her new job for over a month and has the money she needs to take care of her family. She didn’t want to use the assistance herself when someone else who was in more need could. She thanked us for our assistance in getting back on her feet. This was an example to me how through the assistance the community gives to this agency, we can change lives.

It is always fun for me to introduce myself: "Hi, I'm the POP Coordinator at MOM!" If nothing else, I get a smile!

POP stands for Project for Older People. My job is to link the seniors in our service area with the volunteers who are eagerly awaiting an assignment to be of assistance to an elderly community member.

I'd like to take this opportunity to say "THANK YOU" to our POP Volunteers. They provide an entire cadre of services; i.e. transportation, shopping assistance, household and yard chores, home visits, respite care and telephone reassurance.

The energies that these volunteers bring to our seniors is amazing. Last week, a male volunteer whom I shall call "Sam" was willing to take a couple hours on his precious Saturday to climb a ladder and clean the fallen leaves from the gutters of an elderly woman who lives alone in her own home. Sam has been a "Call me when you need me" kind of guy. It's wonderful to know that if a need such as this arises, I can give him and call and he is going to take the time to respond.

Another amazing POP Volunteer is a female I'll call "Sarah". On a weekly basis she takes four hours from a very hectic and busy family schedule to provide transportation and shopping assistance to an elderly family.

These are just a couple of the situations wherein our POP Volunteers offer their time, energy and caring spirit to reach out to our community seniors. They truly exemplify our MOM mission of "connecting neighbors for good".