“My monthly income barely pays for my rent. Without MSC’s energy assistance program I don’t know if I’d make it in the winter.”
Khadija is in her early sixties and worked up until 2006 when she developed medical issues that made it difficult for her to use her hands. She is now receiving Social Security Disability Insurance, but it is not enough to cover all her costs of living, especially during the cold winter months.
Khadija has double-pane windows and does everything she can to keep her energy costs down such as only heating the room she’s in, but it isn’t enough to keep energy costs low in her basement apartment. “In the summer it’s great, like having air conditioning, but in the winter it’s cold and my energy bill is between $175-$200 a month.”
Just last weekend, two of Khadija’s 24 grandchildren came to help her weatherize the windows. She received weatherization supplies through MSC’s Energy Assistance Program. Khadija will continue to look for ways to improve her energy usage during the winter months, and is thankful that MSC and the community are there to support her when she needs it.
