Sara lived in Maryland most of her life and in the home she and her husband built in Harford County. Together, they raised their four children and watched them move away and start their own lives. When her husband, passed she was alone in an older home with creaky floors, leaky windows and not enough retirement to pay for updates.
Living on a single Social Security check wasn’t easy. Sara was stretching every dollar- shopping on senior citizen days and cutting back in every way she could. Regardless of how low she kept her thermostat, her heating bills soared, and her savings were gone. She bundled up in layers and heated just one room, but her joints ached and her spirits sank. She didn’t have the heart to burden her children with any of this knowing they weren’t in a position to help.
One morning, as she clutched a lukewarm mug of tea, Sara came across a flyer at the local library about the Fuel Fund of Maryland. She hesitated—she’d never asked for help before. But the cold had grown too fierce, and pride couldn’t keep her warm.
She went on the website and following directions, she applied for assistance. Sara received a financial assistance grant that resolved her utility bill and lifted a heavy weight off her shoulders.
Upon visiting, her children found out she had been helped by the Fuel Fund of Maryland. They couldn’t afford much but they joined the “Power of 12” and gave a little each month. “Set it and Forget it” They felt the importance in giving back… to be that lifeline for someone else’s parent.
Sara’s family and the Fuel Fund of Maryland helped keep households connected! Click here to donate