“It just kind of compounded on me.”
That’s how Roger C. of Sedalia, Mo. Felt when a nearly $300 utility bill showed up in his mailbox. Roger is an amputee and also lives with chronic ulcerative colitis. He survives on a $900 monthly disability check.
“When we went straight from summer to winter and my bill spiked, it was more than I could handle,” he said.
A friend suggested he reach out to United Way for assistance. He lives near the offices for United Way of Pettis County. The team there suggested Roger could potentially qualify for assistance through the Critical Medical Needs program, administered by United Way of Greater Kansas City. Established in the summer of 2024, the program is designed to help prevent disconnection or restore service for households with a medical condition that could be worsened without running utilities. This year, more than 740 unique clients have been supported with $640,000 in assistance, thanks to a partnership with utility providers Evergy and Spire.
“It was really good. I was under a lot of stress and really didn’t know how I was going to pay it,” Roger said. “If my utilities were cut off, my apartment could also kick me out, so I’d be homeless.”
Roger also applied for LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistant Program) and is hopeful that will help him to avoid a similar problem in the future. He’s beyond grateful United Way was there for him when he needed support.
“I saw a different side of humanity. For a while, it seems like you’re down and out and people want to kick you when you’re down,” he said. “But with United Way, it was awesome to come across people who really wanted to help. It means a lot.”