In Leon County, many senior citizens are going without heat this winter. County Elder Care Services is asking for donations to help them stay comfortable and safe in their homes.
Elder Care Services has been getting about seven phone calls every day from seniors who don’t have heat. Elder Care spokeswoman Amber Tynan says, they ask for space heaters and blankets.
“And we try to keep those items in stock,” she said. “However, with that amount of calls per day, you can imagine, we do go through those pretty quickly.”
In December, the organization gave out more than 50 space heaters and many more blankets, and Tynan said, the need continues to be critical during the coldest part of the year.
“A lot of them are low income, and what ends up happening is, because they’re having to budget for quite a few items, like their mortgage, food, transportation, those sort of things, a lot of times, at the end of the month, utility bills and their heating needs typically go by the wayside because they don’t have the funds to turn on the heat, so a lot of our seniors are going cold,” she said.
Part of Elder Care Services’ mission is keeping people in their homes and out of nursing homes if possible, Tynan said. And, a lot of that depends on organizations and people donating space heaters and blankets, which can help seniors avoid getting sick.
“They can be new or gently used. We are ok with both,” she said. “And we will also come to their organization to pick them up, if that’s more convenient.”
In addition to these items, she said, Elder Care Services is asking for cash donations to its energy assistance program. The money can help cover seniors’ heat bills in an emergency.
Click here for more information on Elder Care Services.