As a board member of United Way of Southwest Colorado, I recently had the opportunity to sit in on a weekly, confidential Community Emergency Assistance Coalition funding meeting. Representatives of several community organizations – compassionate toward people who need a hand up (not a hand out) – join together to review applications and make tough decisions about where to disperse a scarce pool of funds for people in need of a small, one-time grant (e.g., to pay one month’s rent). We all know that bad things happen to good people, and CEAC is one of our community’s resources to lend a hand with the strong, caring oversight and consideration of the coalition representatives. The stories were compelling, and the decisions (given a very limited budget) were made with heart-breaking, nonjudgmental wisdom.

LPEA’s Round Up Foundation is a wonderful way for us to work together to help this good cause. LPEA customers can simply round up their electric bills to the next higher dollar amount – just pennies for those who do – generating a larger, collective contribution to CEAC that can really make a difference in someone’s life. If you’re not an LPEA customer, you can contribute to the CEAC fund through any of the partner agencies. There was a time in my life when I experienced homelessness and poverty with my children when they were young, and the help of other people was one of the things that gave me the strength to keep going and not give up. Please round up your utility bill or contribute to the CEAC fund and help our neighbors. I’m going to start this month.

Gigi Baty

Durango