Busted heater lands family in way too much cold water

Your donations to United Way helped family get a replacement.

Pamela Swartz and her family stopped getting hot water. The hot water heater for their double-wide mobile home broke late last year, and they couldn’t afford to replace it.

“We had heat; no hot water,” said Swartz, who lives in Dover Plains. “We would get it for a few moments and that would be it.”

The couple’s daughters began showering at their friends’ homes. Pam and her husband washed their hair in a sink and used sanitary wipes on the rest of their bodies. Dirty dishes were wiped down with soapy sponge then rinsed in cold water. Clothes were cleaned in cold water washes.

Pam looked to her list of community resources for a possible solution to their problem. Luckily, she found one in the Dutchess County Community Action Partnership, a nonprofit that serves county residents in need in through food assistance and programs for health and wellness, household expenses, education and employment as well as youth mentoring.

“We’re blessed,” said mom.

For the Swartz’ it was CAP’s Unmet Needs program that came to their rescue, covering not only the entire cost of a new hot water heater, but also the charge for its installation.

“You never know how much you miss something until you don’t have it,” said Swartz. “This whole experience has been very humbling – we’re blessed.”

Debra Long, director of special projects at CAP, said the nonprofit’s Unmet Needs program, which is supported by wrap around funds from United Way of Dutchess County, helps families by way of financial assistance for emergencies not covered through other CAP programs.

It used to be, said Long, that CAP served low-income families. Now they’re not the only ones.

“I can’t tell you the number of middle class individuals we’ve seen who’ve lost their jobs, who just are so far behind,” said Long, whether they’re in dire need of rent money, car insurance, food or another essential.

“This has been a God-send program,” said Long, of their Unmet Needs service, for with UWDC’s financial assistance that helps individuals find their way through various financial crises.

United Way funding unique, forward thinking

“The best reward for me is to have a client walk away knowing they’re not going to be evicted; they can now buy diapers or formula for their newborn baby; they can get their car insurance or make a minor repair to continue working and not put themselves in jeopardy to be terminated,” said Long.

CAP’s executive director and CEO Maureen B. Lashlee said, “There just is not a lot of safety net for those folks that are in limbo between making a living wage and being eligible for benefits.”

That’s where UWDC’s funding through wrap-around funds to CAP’s Unmet Needs program come in. The United Way funds allow nonprofit case managers to fulfill the needs of families and individuals that other programs cannot meet.

“They looked at what’s going on in our community,” said Lashlee of UWDC, which didn’t simply rely on standard markers, like specific programs for rent money, food and clothing. Instead, she said, UWDC’s forward-thinking ideals have enabled agencies like CAP help people however they need it most. “They said, ‘let’s give the agencies who know these people the flexibility to meet those needs.’ “ said Lashlee.