‘Power-full’ partnership: Collaborating to keep families warm

Committed to providing the region with energy and to keep our lives running, Dayton Power and Light (DP&L) also partners with organizations on initiatives that will make a difference and have a positive impact on customers throughout their 24-county service territory.

DP&L established the Gift of Power program in 2015, to assist residents in need with their winter heating bills. The initial funding is provided by DP&L, along with generous donations from customers, employees and shareholders. The Salvation Army was chosen to administer the program because of their support services reach that exists throughout the DP&L service territory.

“The Salvation Army is honored to partner with Dayton Power and Light for a second year for the Gift of Power Program,” said Major Gayle Senak, associate administrator for the Dayton Salvation Army. “This year, The Salvation Army has designated representatives in the 24 Ohio counties in the DP&L service area. This will enable those in need to receive the needed assistance in a much easier way.”

The Salvation Army Mission statement says "We are called by God to meet human need without discrimination". The Gift of Power Program is a practical way that we are able to meet human needs in the Miami Valley area.

It takes a special person to make someone who has never asked for help before feel comfortable talking about their personal circumstances. The support services/Gift of Power representatives at The Salvation Army do just that. They are compassionate, empathetic and willing to do whatever they can to help clients who often are in desperate situations. The staff provides hope and offers resources and help, not just with heating bills, but in other areas the families might have difficulties, such as managing their household finances.

Barb Hartley, scholarship coordinator at The Salvation Army, works with Gift of Power clients throughout the program period, interviewing and determining how the program can assist the client in their unique situation. Hartley loves having a job that allows her to help people, and she knows from personal experience what it is like to be in need of assistance.

“I have been there myself,” recalled Hartley. “I remember when I was a young mother, rocking my baby and crying because I didn’t know how we were going to pay the bills. It is an awful, overwhelming feeling. Receiving a disconnection notice can leave people feeling helpless and, often times, embarrassed. When clients come in, I always try to keep it light and make them feel at ease. But occasionally, it’s heartbreaking.”

Hartley keeps a box of tissues on her desk at all times. “Sometimes I use them, sometimes the clients use them,” said Hartley.

Hartley is just one of the staff members at The Salvation Army who successfully administers this very important program. The Salvation Army is dedicated to working closely with the Gift of Power clients to help them get back on their feet again.

      >>> RELATED: Give the Gift of Power: Together we can help our neighbors stay warm this winter

You have the power to help

By donating to Gift of Power, you will be helping to prevent disconnection or restore power to families who are struggling. Click here to learn how you can give the Gift of Power.

Said Hartley, “I love what the Gift of Power program represents: hope, relief, and getting people back to a point where their situation is more manageable. It could be any of us, at any given time, in the same situation.”

“There are so many families in our service territory who are facing hardship, making the tough decision of what bills to pay just to get by. With the Gift of Power, we have lightened their burden. We are beginning to make a difference, but we have a long way to go and thousands more who need our help,” said Debbie Carity, Gift of Power project coordinator.

For the second straight year, DP&L and The Salvation Army have come together to provide emergency relief funding through the Gift of Power to our neighbors in need. In its inaugural year, the program helped 465 families stay warm through the winter heating season.

For more information about the Gift of Power program, visit dpandl.com/gift.