Community contributions: Bluffton Self Help
Laura has lived in Bluffton for as long as she can remember. She survives on less than $800 per month from social security benefits. She stretches the $800 as far as she can, using it to pay for her mortgage and utilities.
She and her neighbor go to Bluffton Self Help twice each week to visit the food pantry. These visits help them save money on groceries. Laura lives in an older mobile home with aluminum siding and poor insulation. As the summer temperatures increased, so did her electric bill.
One electric bill neared $400 — nearly half of her monthly income. If she paid the electric bill, she couldn’t pay her mortgage and water bill and would not be able to afford personal health care items.
She applied at Bluffton Self Help for help with her electric bill and was encouraged to ask her electric company to perform an energy audit on her home.
Bluffton Self Help provides a broad range of social services for poor working families, the disabled, the sick and the elderly.
To contribute
Those who wish to participate in the Bluffton Self Help fundraising campaign, which supports the organization’s charitable activities, can mail contributions to Bluffton Self Help, P.O. Box 2420, Bluffton, SC 29910; drop them off at 39 Sheridan Park Circle, Suite 10; or go to www.blufftonselfhelp.org.
This story was originally published December 5, 2016 at 5:04 PM with the headline "Community contributions: Bluffton Self Help."