As someone who had worked for a local nonprofit that partners with SNAP, Connie had come to expect good work from the agency. Earlier this year, she had the chance to experience SNAP as a client.
Connie has lived in her home for over 20 years, but since her husband fell upon poor health, she has often had to make the choice between medications and home repair. Home repair always seemed to come in second. Making her tough situation worse were drafty windows, black mold, an old roof, faulty furnace, and plumbing leaks that hiked her utilities bill and made their shared home less safe.
As the SNAP trucks and equipment started cycling in and out of her home, Connie notes that this became somewhat of a neighborhood event. Her neighbors gathered around, fascinated at the work being done.
Unsurprisingly, the SNAP crew was helpful and kind.
“At no time did they make me feel minimized or undeserving. They were gracious, kind, and professional,” Connie notes of her experience.
When SNAP entered Connie’s home, she didn’t know what to expect. At the time, Connie recalls feeling nervous that the sprawl of the equipment and old windows, frames and screens would make a mess.
“But I shouldn’t have been [nervous],” Connie said. “SNAP staff took everything away and left all the areas cleaned up and tidy. It was actually cleaner than when they started.”
The work at Connie’s home was part of an overall SNAP effort in 2017 that saw 906 home repairs and accessibility modifications completed. In addition, SNAP crews weatherized 216 homes for energy efficiency.
Now that Connie’s home is safe and weatherized, she has noticed a marked difference in the temperature of her home. Her new furnace is easy to program, runs dependably and quietly and keeps her home warm at a much lower cost. She was also relieved to report “no more double, triple, and quadruple layers of clothing to stay warm!”
“The difference in my home has been nothing short of miraculous,” Connie said
Connie no longer needs to wear a mask to clean black mold from the window sills. She instead can enjoy her warmer, safer home, while caring for her husband. Gone are the days of her choosing between a warm home and her husband’s medications.
“I just can’t say enough how grateful I am for the work that was done,” she said. “Everything was done so professionally and everyone explained to me what was being done and how they could maximize the benefit of the repairs. You are all truly angels!”