Water Bill Assistance

                                                      “Let’s Keep the Water On”

A family truly suffers when their water is disconnected. Their home becomes non-functional for healthy living because there is no water for:

Drinking, Cooking, Cleaning, Laundry, Washing, Bathing or Flushing Toilets.

Today, over 2,000 homes in Fort Dodge are behind on their water bills and will have their water disconnected in the next few months. 

It is estimated this will impact 500 to 800 kids living in homes without water.  

Today, many single-parent families with children are struggling to pay their monthly bills for basic living expenses for rent, food, electricity, heat, and water. 

There are no government or private funds locally or from the State that provide families with financial assistance for water bills.

                                                        Help us Keep the Water On for these families with children

Our Goal is to Raise $25,000

United Way scrutinizes every family that applies for assistance to ensure that the parent is working and just needs a “helping hand” to catch up on the water bill.  United Way offers one-time assistance to help families get their water turned on and can pay their bills going forward.

Every dollar donated to our “Let’s Keep the Water On” initiative will be used to help families with children keep the water running in their homes.  Here are just a few real-life examples. 

“Hurray! Our water is back on. Thank you so much for your help."Sandy’s husband deserted her, left town, and is not paying any child support for their four children, leaving them in a financially desperate situation. Due to a leak in a toilet in her rental house, Sandy was notified that she had a $700 water bill that she could not pay. Her water was shut off and Sandy and her four young children lived in their home without water for three weeks: no water for the toilets, for cooking, bathing, and doing the laundry. United Way was contacted to find out if there was any way we could help. After meeting with Sandy, we helped pay off $300 on her water bill and assisted her in establishing a monthly payment plan to pay off the rest of the water bill. Their water was then turned back on at her house. Sandy has taken a second job to help make ends meet for her family.

“My children and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts.” A low-income, single-parent family with three children was unable to pay their water bill when the mother, Amy, came down with a serious illness that required surgery. Due to her surgery and recovery period, Amy missed working for six weeks, putting her behind in paying her monthly bills. It came down to paying her rent or paying her water bill.  After deciding to pay her rent, Amy fell in arrears on her water bill by $380.  United Way was contacted to see if we could help Amy and her three children who had been living in their apartment for three weeks without water. United Way paid $200 on the water bill and Amy was able to pay the remaining $180.  Amy is back at work; the water is back on in their home and the children are living in a functional household again.

“Thank you United Way for being there when we needed help.”  Anne is a single mom with 4 children. Her water was disconnected for more than a week before contacting United Way for assistance. Anne owed the Water Department $500. Anne has a full-time job and also cleans houses on the weekends to make ends meet. Despite working two jobs, Anne always made sure her children were clean and presentable, and they never missed a day at school. United Way provided this family with assistance to pay off half of the water bill and Anne is paying $50 a month to cover the rest of the bill. The water is back on for this loving family of five.  

“You were there for us when we needed help – thank you so much!” Makiah, a single mother with two girls was at risk of having her water shut off. Makiah works 30 hours per week at a local restaurant and 20 additional hours per week at another business. This hard-working mother of two got behind on her water bill when she got COVID and missed more than a week of work. Her jobs offered no sick leave or paid time off. Makiah works hard and takes good care of her daughters. She was making a concerted effort to pay down her bill but was struggling to make the payments. United Way paid the $600 water bill with a $300 grant and then established a small loan for her to pay off the other $300 over the next six months, and the water is back on at their home.

“Thank you United Way for being there for my family.” A single mom, Chris, with three children under the age of 6 came to us the week before Christmas because her water had been shut off for two weeks. Chris works full-time for a local employer but has been off work due to two surgeries. With just a small stipend for sick leave pay, she was unable to keep up with her costs for rent and food. United Way was able to provide financial help to get her water turned back on. United Way also provided some Christmas gifts for the children so they would have a Christmas. Chris is now back at work and able to meet her basic living obligations and raise her children in a stable home.

United Way donations are truly touching the lives of many children and their families.  Your support can help us make a difference by helping to turn the water back on for many families.