BUSINESS: PAYING $1 MORE ON UTILITY BILL HELPS OTHERS

Local agencies that provide assistance to those in need want local residents to consider participating in AmerenUE's Dollar More program.

The Dollar More program allows AmerenUE customers to donate $1 a bill to a special fund to help pay the energy bills of those who do not have the means to do so.

Kevin Sexton, community services representative for the East Missouri Action Agency and coordinator of the Local Assistance Network in Cape Girardeau, said agencies, churches and other groups only have so much money to distribute to the needy for utility bills.

Some money, such as that distributed by the state, often is earmarked for particular needs -- utility bills, food or child care, for instance -- and cannot be used for anything else.

Sexton said the Dollar More donations usually amount to about $1,400 to $1,600 every three months.

"There's never enough to cover everything that's needed, but the Dollar More program helps stretch our funds," Sexton said.

In addition to the customer donations, AmerenUE makes a $10,000 corporate donation to the action agency, which Sexton said helps the agency squeak through times of the year, such as spring and fall, when there are not as many donations coming in.

"During that time, the only other place for assistance is churches," he said. "We don't like to count on churches except in real emergencies. If we can take care of it ourselves, we like to."

Needs assessment offered

People in Cape Girardeau County who find themselves in need of help to pay utility bills or any other kind of assistance are encouraged to go to the agency's office at 1111 Linden St., for a needs assessment.

Denise Wimp, program coordinator for First Call for Help, a resource and information service in the Cape Girardeau area, said that not only will the agency determine what a person's needs are, the agency also will help that person identify what may be causing the problems.

"It's not just about paying bills," Wimp said. "If a person is laid off, then we look at the bigger picture of why they're laid off. If we look at the big picture, we can help them get the job they need to have income."

After the needs assessment, the agency will connect people with the appropriate service and try to find the assistance they need.

"Poverty involves more than just utility assistance," Wimp said. "We like to look at what else we can help with."

But, Wimp said, most requests received by local agencies are for help paying utility bills. That is where the Dollar More program comes in.

"Here are families in need of utility assistance, and we can all help out by doing the Dollar More program," she said.

Sexton said local assistance agencies are not asking for AmerenUE customers to participate in the program just so there will be more money to give out.

He said there are pockets of poverty in the area that really do need help.

"We're a pretty well-to-do community, and we're a very giving community, but we have some who don't have," he said. "I really don't think a dollar is much to ask. If 10,000 households gave a dollar a month, it wouldn't be an issue."