LYNN — As energy costs continue to rise nationwide and concern grows, leaders from National Grid and the National Grid Foundation, as well as United Way and LEO Inc., gathered Wednesday to announce a $2.2 million investment toward a new, two-year initiative that will serve seniors and those who are being impacted by energy affordability.
The project is intended to reach 10,000 seniors across the Greater Boston area, specifically Dorchester, Roxbury, and Chelsea, as well as Lawrence, Brockton, Fall River, Worcester, and Lynn through assistance programs, co-saving tools and support from community-based organizations, like LEO’s Home Energy Assistance Program, which is a free resource that helps households that are eligible pay a portion of their heating bills.
Within this investment, $1.2 million will go toward direct utility assistance, $1 million will be for senior outreach and enrollment support, and $43,000 will go toward energy education and an Efficiency Cohort.
Lynn Mayor Jared C. Nicholson shared how the program will provide the support that’s needed and, specifically, how energy affordability is impacting Lynn. Nicholson noted that Lynn has a “variety of programs that we know are available to our residents, [but] if you look at the update for those programs, it’s not what it should be.”
“It’s something that has been a source of frustration I think when we’re asking people who are struggling to fill out more forms and find the programs on their own,” he continued, later emphasizing: “As a society, we make a decision about how far those dollars go for our seniors, and we are saying today that it is not morally acceptable for the cost of utilities to push our seniors into a crisis. It’s happening too frequently, and I am glad to see these resources being put forward to stop it from happening to the extent that it is.”
LEO CEO Birgitta Damon also spoke on the importance of the partnership and the value in having different organizations work together to combat the issues that many are facing… nationwide. “We always say these services maximize the very little income that people have because they can utilize these benefits and then have money to pay for the gas for their car, food, child care assistance,” Damon told The Daily Item after the event. “There are a lot of seniors that are grandparents raising the next generation, and they’re stretching these dollars. All of it is so needed, particularly as we’re facing policy challenges in the country today.”
There will also be an intentional focus on raising awareness and educating seniors on the options that are available to them – a crucial act that is necessary and at the forefront of the partnership.
“What this initiative is trying to do is make sure that people have awareness of [the] support] that is there for them,” said United Way President and CEO Marty Martinez. “We know the needs are growing, actually, so how do we make sure that people understand what programs can support them and help them, and they do it through a trusted community partner? We at United Ways can’t do this without LEO and agencies that people already depend on and are connected to. That’s why this program is not only important, but critical, especially in this moment.”
The initiative will also serve as an opportunity for companies, such as National Grid, to hear directly from residents to better understand not only what those needs are, but how they can be more proactive in giving support:
“It’s important to understand the intersectional needs of our customers and our communities as well,” said National Grid Director, U.S. Community Investments and Engagement Favio Germán. “That’s why it’s also about — the door knocking, the flyering, but also finding ways to get them to where they’re going for other needs as well, and make it a comprehensive approach to ensure that their needs are being met. And then we’re also learning from them along the way to how to be more responsive to the work”.
