{"id":132,"date":"2026-04-16T15:17:43","date_gmt":"2026-04-16T15:17:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/heuristic-yonath.40-160-33-16.plesk.page\/?p=132"},"modified":"2026-04-16T15:17:43","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T15:17:43","slug":"bridging-the-gap-between-working-and-stable-how-lccms-utility-assistance-program-is-helping-families-regain-footing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/heuristic-yonath.40-160-33-16.plesk.page\/?p=132","title":{"rendered":"Bridging the gap between working and stable: How LCcm’s utility assistance program is helping families regain footing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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A mother makes $2,000 a month as a home health aide. Her expenses outweigh her income by about $200, but she can usually make it work.Because she has a household of 3, she meets income guidelines for government heating assistance through the LIHEAP program and receives SNAP benefits.She\u2019d be doing OK if it weren\u2019t for the $1,300 rent and $500 car payment for a new vehicle people convinced her to buy because it\u2019s \u201cmore reliable\u201d than a used car.But, again, she makes it work.Except of course when her company cuts her hours, as it periodically does.\u200bAnd it just happens to coincide with her quarterly water bill that\u2019s due.\u00a0\u200bSo she calls Lebanon County Christian Ministries for help.<\/div>
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You can help. By becoming a monthly donor, you can ensure people get their utilities paid to prevent evictions, get connected to programs and referrals they qualify for, and even open the door to longer term help through our coaching program.<\/span><\/strong><\/div>
<\/div> Become a monthly donor<\/span> <\/a>
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upLIFT Lite 15-Month Impact Report<\/b><\/td><\/tr>
File Size: <\/td>430 kb<\/td><\/tr>
File Type: <\/td> pdf<\/td><\/tr><\/table>Download File<\/a><\/div> <\/div>
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Read the upLIFT Lite report.\u00a0<\/strong><\/div>
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\u200bThe scenario you just read is a composite of a common issue people face when applying for utility payment assistance at Lebanon County Christian Ministries.In fact, 37% of households in Lebanon County struggle to pay for basic needs, such as food, housing, utilities, transportation, and child care.Being employed does not always equal financial stability, and this is where LCCM steps in to fill that gap.\u200b75% of the people requesting utility payment assistance through LCCM are women<\/a>, a sizeable majority work, pay rent and about half have kids. We\u2019ve lost count of the number of single mothers who make $2,000 or less a month \u2013 sometimes a lot less. More challenging still, many have compounding issues with work due to having children with special needs, specifically autism.\u00a0READ THE FULL UPLIFT LITE REPORT BELOW<\/font><\/strong>\u200b<\/div>
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uplift_lite__15_month_impact_report_mar.2026_final.pdf<\/b><\/td><\/tr>
File Size: <\/td>430 kb<\/td><\/tr>
File Type: <\/td> pdf<\/td><\/tr><\/table>Download File<\/a><\/div> <\/div>
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upLIFT Lite guests were surveyed initially and three months later to determine if they were better off than they were when they first came to LCCM for assistance.<\/div> <\/div><\/div>
Some of our guests are on a fixed income.<\/a> Others work and receive SSI for a child in the household. Some are married or have partners.For some it\u2019s their first time seeking assistance. For others, they\u2019ve sought assistance more than once.When people come to LCCM for help, they are often in crisis precisely because of this scenario we just laid out.LCCM has operated a utility assistance program for 15 years. In September of 2024, we rebranded it as upLIFT Lite and changed the way we conducted the program because we wanted to spend a bit more time with people to hear their story, encourage them to get onto programs they may qualify for and provide additional referrals they request.\u00a0We wanted to find out: If LCCM met people in a deeper way in the gap between \u201cemployed\u201d and \u00a0\u201cstable,\u201d would it make a difference?<\/strong>So, we gathered data from the more than 600 people we\u2019ve conducted intakes with so we can get a bird\u2019s eye view about the true needs of the working class who make just enough to get by, but not enough to consistently cover basic expenses.We had a 20% response rate during a follow-up 3-month survey. Here\u2019s what we found:At the initial intake session: