Electric for Mr. Jones

February 21, 2018

For the first time in 65 years of married life, after coming home from the hospital himself, Mr. Jones was scared his wife would also return from the hospital to a cold home.

He had been out for three hours driving from one church to another determined to find someone who would help him pay his electric bill before the disconnect date on his notice. He didn’t know where to go for this was the first time in his eighty-four-year-old life that he had been in this situation.

He had been in the hospital for three weeks recently and his wife was actually in the hospital at the present time. The expense of medication upon his release from the hospital was more than his monthly social security income. He had a disconnect notice from both the electric and water companies in the mail that the neighbor had piled on the kitchen table. His wife was due to be released to come home with home health care within the next week. He knew this could not happen if the utilities were disconnected.

The office worker at one of the churches that he visited told him to our partner, Come-Unity Cooperative Care. “They are your best chance for help,” she told him. They were able to pay all his bill except for the $100 that he was given by the church.

Moments like this would not be possible without the support we receive from our supporters.

Related Blogs

Homeowners standing on newly repaired porch after home rehabilitation support

He Spent Years Helping Others—Then He Needed Help Himself

“We love our porch, it’s really nice,” Vickie told Americans Helping Americans® staff on a visit to McDowell County last June. “Y’all have done a lot for us.” Chester Ball is an accomplished bluegrass musician living in McDowell County, where Americans Helping...

Mother with children at Samaritan House shelter receiving support and housing assistance

From Shelter to Stability: Support at AMOS Samaritan House

Americans Helping Americans® partner in Jefferson City, Tennessee, Appalachian Ministries of the Smokies (AMOS) describes itself as “a poverty relief ministry in partnership with the community that began in 1984 through the Campus Ministries Department at...

How to Help Appalachia: A Guide to Making a Real Difference

For many, Appalachia is a region of breathtaking beauty and rich cultural heritage. But for countless families, it is also a place marked by generational poverty, limited access to healthcare, and ongoing challenges tied to geography and opportunity. If you’ve been...