The new year got off to a challenging start for Brittany S., a single mother of two school-aged children, who is also a caretaker for her aging grandmother.
“I was going through a mental health crisis,” Brittany shared. “I had to take a medical leave from work, so I wasn’t getting paid.”
She’s working toward healing, but faced the very real threat of losing electricity and gas service to her home during the winter months
“I was only able to pay $180 which was past due, but I still had hundreds more dollars that I owed,” Brittany said.
A customer care representative from her health insurer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City, reached out to follow-up on her recent crisis. They inquired about any household issues she might be facing and Brittany let them know about her utility bill debt.
“They told me to connect with United Way and the Critical Medical Needs program,” said Brittany. “You guys were able to pay off the full amount I owed. That was like a big, huge relief. It relieved some of my stress with all of this.”
Brittany said she’d reached out to United Way 211 years ago for help, but she hadn’t needed support since. She wasn’t familiar with the Critical Medical Needs program, which was launched about 18 months ago in partnership with utility providers Evergy and Spire. In just the past month, more than $18,000 in assistance has been provided to 53 households.
“I’m really appreciative of that assistance,” Brittany said. “It’s hard for me to ask for help, but I’m just super grateful for what United Way did to help our family.”