Sewer District and Family Center team up to help local families with sewer bills

If the economy gets any worse many families who are barely hanging on will soon be forced into extreme measures, many families are already there.

Making a choice between paying for electricity, heat and sewer or feeding your children is something many families are facing today.

With this in mind, the Lake Stevens Sewer District has joined forces with the Lake Stevens Family Center to help those who are wondering how they will pay their sewer bill next month.

Why does the Family Center feel this is an important program?

Several reasons. The current economic state of so many families is such that people are having to, in many instances, choose between keeping a roof over their head and buying food for the table. 

So many community members are faced, not only with the need to choose between the necessities and the extravagances,  they are having to carefully balance the limited resources they have in order to survive.  When we think of necessities, we think of shelter, food, and heat.  If given the choice between one of these three and using limited funds to pay a sewer bill - the choice becomes obvious. 

Even though there can be devastating consequences the alternative would be so much worse. 

Many people throughout our community are losing their jobs, their homes and in some cases even more. 

We anticipate the positive impact of this program to be two-fold:To provide temporary relief to people that are dangerously close to having a lien put on their home because of their no-fault inability to pay for this necessary utility.  

This program will also enable us to let the members of these same households know that there are other supports and resources that are available to them, without applying for DSHS assistance (often referred to as Welfare).

Through the caring support of others, this program will provide us with one more ‘tool’ in helping our community family members  find the supports they need to ease the burdens, retain the homes that they have worked so hard for, and get connected to resources to survive the hard times so many of us are facing.

How will the LSFC manage the program?

Through strict accounting practices, appreciation and accountability to the contributors and with understanding, respect and confidentiality for the recipients.