HAVANA, Fla. (WTXL) — A Gadsden County nonprofit is collecting heaters and blankets to help local seniors stay warm as rising utility costs leave many struggling to heat their homes.
- Nearly 1 in 5 residents are over 65, and with poverty rates over 27%, many seniors can’t afford to heat their homes.
- Blessings of Hope is collecting heaters, blankets, and donations, with drop-off locations at the Havana Police Department and First Commerce Credit Union in Tallahassee.
- Watch the video to see how utility bills are forcing some seniors to choose between heat and other essentials.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
As temperatures drop, one local organization is turning up the heat asking for your help to keep local seniors warm this winter.
I’m Lyric Sloan in Gadsden County, where donated heaters and blankets could make a life-changing difference for elderly residents in need.
Blessings of Hope Empowerment Outreach, has kicked off its annual Senior Blanket and Heater Drive collecting new blankets, space heaters, and monetary donations to help elderly residents across Gadsden County who may struggle to stay warm this winter.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly one in five residents in Gadsden County are over age 65, a group especially vulnerable to winter's chill. Poverty rates in Gadsden County are above 27 % and per capita. Income is just over $23,000, meaning many local seniors are already making hard choices before winter hits.
Berta Kemp, president of the Carver Heights Senior Citizens Program, says she can relate because she's been in that same position.
"I had to turn on the oven and close the doors to the other room and that's how I kept warm," Kemp said.
Right now, Blessings of Hope is in the collection phase, hoping to gather enough supplies.
"It's really important because we need it. A lot of people in this community you wouldn't even know they need it. Some of your next-door neighbors… you don't know what they're going through until you start talking, and even then, some still won't tell you," Mary Conyers , a Carver Heights senior citizen, said.
The Carver Heights Senior Citizens Day Program is also stepping in, offering space to store and distribute the donations on November 8th.
Kemp says the need is clear and she hears it firsthand from the seniors she serves.
"I see the need people going hungry, people trying to keep warm, and a lot of complaints about high utility bills," Kemp said.
For seniors on fixed incomes, rising energy costs can make staying warm feel out of reach which is why something as simple as a donated space heater can make all the difference
"Turning these big units on and off takes a while sometimes it's faster and more efficient to just have a small heater," Kemp said.
Donations can be dropped off at the Havana Police Department or at First Commerce Credit Union in Tallahassee.
Checks should be made out to Blessings of Hope Empowerment Outreach.
In Havana, I'm Lyric Sloan, ABC 27.
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