Life has often felt like a day-to-day survival mode for Ingrid M. At just 30 years old, she’s been thrown one hardship after another, with much of her trouble stemming from chronic physical and mental health challenges.
“The last year has been just a lot of struggle,” Ingrid shared. “I’ve been in and out of the hospital a lot and ended up losing my job because of all the hours I missed.”
Ingrid applied for disability, but it took months to receive approval and to begin receiving payments. In the meantime, bills were stacking up.
“It truly felt overwhelming,” she said. “I’m dealing with a lot of physical pain, depression and anxiety, taking a lot of medications, and also just trying to keep the lights on.”
Ingrid owed about $400 in combined electricity and gas bills. She reached out to Evergy, hoping to get on a payment plan or find some kind of assistance to get caught up. Staff there told her about the Critical Medical Needs program, a partnership made possible thanks to generous support from utility providers Evergy and Spire. It’s designed to prevent disconnection or restore service for households impacted by a medical diagnosis, which could be made worse without power.
“When I heard about this program, I was really excited and grateful because I never thought there would be something out there to help pay my bills and get me back on my feet,” said Ingrid.
After connecting to United Way, her past due utility debt was paid in full, which also allowed her to keep her housing.
“It really gave me a sense of independence back and that’s great,” she said. “It’s hard to really put into words just how grateful I am for what you guys did. It’s definitely a weight lifted and has given me the strength to be responsible again.”
In 2025, the Critical Medical Needs program supported 738 unique clients with more than $640,000 of utility assistance.