Meet Loria — The First Person The Human Utility Ever Helped
By Arthur Bridgeforth Jr.
In 2014, Loria’s typical household budgeting struggles intensified when she lost her one significant source of income–her job.
Loria, a 43-year-old Detroit homeowner and single mother of three, was behind the curve when it came to juggling which bills to pay while trying to get back on her feet and land another full-time job.
Her water bill quickly ballooned as she searched for another job. A combination of past due balances and current charges, what she owed grew to $900.
She’d never been shut off before, yet, she knew if the bill grew much larger, shut off was a very real possibility. The notion of living without the basics–especially running water–was unthinkable.
That’s when Loria sought outside help. Searching the Internet led her to The Human Utility. Donation by donation, we quickly paid Loria’s outstanding water bill to the Detroit Water & Sewerage Department.
With her water service back on, Loria is working hard to get back on her feet doing data entry work.
The Human Utility, a not-for-profit organization founded in 2014, is dedicated to helping low-income families and seniors in the United States pay their water bills to restore or preserve their service. Through our website, we match donors to families for support. With donations from $5 to $5000 we have helped over 950 families get their water turned back on. Give today. Every drop in the bucket makes a difference!
Originally published at humanutility.github.io.
