PHOENIX — A hotline to help people in financial crisis pay their utility bills received so many calls in June it had to close after only a week.
The Phoenix Salvation Army’s utility hotline had to close after more than 500 calls poured in over seven days. By comparison, the hotline stayed open 14 days during the same month last year.
Callers to the hotline now get an automated message that says: “We have currently reached our maximum funding allowance and this line will be closed until the following month.”
The hotline operates year-round, though summer months are the busiest.
Last summer, case volume was so high that officials had to shut down the line midway through some months. The three caseworkers can handle only so many calls with the available funding.
The program helps Phoenix residents who have a financial crisis – such as a job loss – pay their utility bills with Salt River Project, Arizona Public Service and Southwest Gas.
“If you are running a paycheck-to-paycheck kind of a budget and say you have a car repair, it's really going to throw your budget off,” said Michele Kirkpatrick, manager of the Emergency Assistance Program.
An applicant is asked to provide documentation to support the financial crisis. Not everyone qualifies. Funds are limited. There are also restrictions on how often an individual can receive funds.
Kirkpatrick said the program can be especially helpful for people on fixed incomes.
Last year, the hotline saw a 35% increase in calls after a summer of record temperatures.
The National Weather Service is predicting temperatures to be above normal again this summer.
Already, June’s average temperature is 8 degrees warmer than in June 2023. The average high temperature in June was 109 degrees compared to 101 degrees in the same month last year.
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Funding for the utility assistance line comes from three sources: Private donations, federal funds and donations people make through their utility bills, called the “Project SHARE” program, short for Service to Help Arizonans with Relief on Energy.
Here’s how to help
You can donate to the hotline through the Phoenix Salvation Army website. Be sure and specify in the comments section that you want your donation to go toward “utility assistance.”
You can also donate through Arizona Public Service or Salt River Project websites. Just look for the “Project SHARE” program. You can also donate directly to the Phoenix Salvation Army by going to the website. Be sure and specify you want your donation to go toward “utility assistance.”
The hotline will open again at the beginning of July. For those seeking assistance, the hotline number is (602) 267-4127.
The hotline was open only 12 days last July before it had to be shut down because of demand. If you are seeking help, it’s best to call early in the month.
Email ABC15 Investigator Anne Ryman at: anne.ryman@abc15.com or connect on X, formerly known as Twitter, and Facebook.
