Nonprofit helps working families keep the water hot

After her hot water heater stopped working, Sylvia Ortiz spent several hours a day navigating community resources and looking for support.  A low-income homeowner with three children, she contacted numerous programs and organizations—and only one was able to help.

The organization—Project Home—is a private, local nonprofit that operates government-funded programs. It focuses on energy efficiency work and home Weatherization services for low-income homeowners.

“Heating water to wash the dishes and boiling water for [my] kids to take a shower made for a difficult situation,” she said. 

According to Jason Hafeman, Outreach Manager with Project Home, the nonprofit receives upwards of 50 calls a year from homeowners looking for assistance with their non-functioning water heaters.  He said some callers have gone without hot water for as long as six months.

“It’s not just an inconvenience,” Hafeman said. “It can be a health and safety risk as well.”

In response to this need, Project Home created the Water Heater Replacement Program.

While the program relies upon donations from local residents, the Water Heater Replacement Program has multiple sponsors, including New Glarus Brewing Company, Madison Gas and Electric Foundation, Evjue Foundation and Cuna Mutual Group.

“[The program] not only addresses our customers’ quality of life but is an issue of public and homeowner safety as well,” Dana Brueck, MGE’s Corporate Communications Manager, said.

After Ortiz contacted the nonprofit, a representative estimated the defective heater would cost $1,500 to replace. Yet Ortiz did not have the resources to cover the required 50 percent of the cost.

“I’ve always been a working person,” she said. “I’m not looking for handouts. But in this case it was just impossible for me to come up with half of the money.”

Once Ortiz called Project Home to explain her situation, Hafeman said she wouldn’t have to worry about paying the $750 fee—the nonprofit would complete the job.

“It was great relief,” she said.

During 2014, the program’s first year of implementation, community donations enabled Project Home to double its funding and replace 20 water heaters. 

Hafeman said the organization wants to assist as many people as possible.

“I think it’s something we take for granted,” he said. “We turn on the shower and the water’s hot and we don’t think about it.”

Yet Project Home’s ability to help low-income homeowners is dependent upon the amount of funding available each year. While the program exceeded its goal in 2014, the nonprofit has only secured half of the funds to meet its target of 30 installations this year. Because of this, Project Home may only be able to replace 15 or 16 heaters.

“[We want] to say yes to everyone that is looking to get hot water back in their homes,” Hafeman said. 

Still, he is hopeful the program will be able to help homeowners in need.

“If we have the funding and [the homeowner] matches the income guidelines, we can go ahead and give them a hand,” he said.

Since the installation, Ortiz said she has not had any problems with water heating in her home.         The heater Project Home installed in Ortiz’s home has a 10-year warranty, a longer warranty than she expected.

“They put themselves in my position,” she said. “I’m very grateful.”