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Through a decades-long partnership, The Salvation Army and Puget Sound Energy help families stay safely in their homes through utility bill assistance.
At the heart of one of The Salvation Army Northwest Division’s longest-running utility assistance programs is a simple idea: neighbors helping neighbors.
The Warm Home Fund partnership has connected Puget Sound Energy (PSE) customer donations with neighbors across western Washington facing financial hardship since 1982.
The program is funded through donations from PSE customers who choose to add a contribution to their utility bills. Those donations then provide emergency utility assistance to customers who contact The Salvation Army for help paying their bills.
The Salvation Army Northwest Division Corporate Relations Director Lisa Borders helps oversee the partnership and often sees the difficult decisions households face when money runs short.
“Families are living paycheck to paycheck and then get behind on a few bills,” Borders said. “Many are forced to decide what bills they can afford to pay and what will have to wait.”
While the assistance is typically a one-time payment, Borders said it helps people avoid falling further behind by allowing them to put limited funds toward other essential expenses, such as rent, groceries and transportation.
“One of the main goals is to help families through a temporary setback before it becomes a bigger problem,” she said.
Over the past 14 years, the partnership has provided more than $13 million in emergency utility assistance, serving nearly 40,000 families.
The effort was recognized in May with the National Energy and Utility Affordability Coalition (NEUAC) National Partnership Award, which annually recognizes one partnership for its work helping households with utility assistance.
Among those accepting the award was PSE Energy Assistance Programs Supervisor Suzanne Sasville, who has worked with The Salvation Army Northwest Division to administer the Warm Home Fund for more than three decades.
Sasville said The Salvation Army’s network of local offices has been key to the partnership’s success, making assistance accessible across more than 10 counties in Washington.
“We want to ensure it’s convenient for customers to access assistance,” she said. “The Salvation Army serves as local points of contact and can connect people with some of their other resources.”
When a customer realizes they can’t pay their utility bill, they can visit the PSE website, which directs them to their local Salvation Army office to begin the assistance process.
There, Salvation Army staff assess the customer’s situation, determine eligibility and identify the amount of assistance available based on household size.
While the Warm Home Fund often helps households pay heating bills during the winter, Sasville said it’s just as important when unexpected emergencies leave families struggling to keep up.
“One day the household is fine, earning income. The next day, somebody has a stroke, and they’re not bringing in the same amount that they had before,” Sasville said. “Suddenly they can’t keep their lights on.”
General Secretary for The Salvation Army Northwest Division Major Roy Wild recalled a father who came to a Salvation Army office seeking help after falling behind on his utility bills.
Raising his teenage daughter on his own, he told staff he didn’t know where else to turn.
“When we were able to offer assistance through the Warm Home Fund, the relief on his face was immediate and profound,” Wild said. “He told us how a weight had been lifted.”
Wild said the father’s connection to The Salvation Army didn’t end after he received assistance. Grateful for the support he received, he later returned to volunteer.
“It’s a powerful reminder that when people regain stability, they don’t just recover; they contribute,” Wild said. “And our entire community becomes stronger because of it.”
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