The holidays are a time for togetherness and celebration, but also often a time of plummeting temperatures and increased heating costs in the Pacific Northwest.
We commend the efforts of a small group of dedicated volunteers at the Vashon branch of St. Vincent de Paul. They are working to make the winter months warm ones for needy Island families by providing them with free firewood.
This particular group, which has worked hard splitting, stacking and delivering wood this winter, is made up of Islanders 60 and older — which makes their hard work and commitment to service even more impressive.
Many Islanders, however, heat with electricity, natural gas or propane, and they will also surely feel the effects of this month’s chilly weather.
There is help available for these Islanders as well: Puget Sound Energy offers bill assistance to low-income customers and other payment plan options for those whose incomes are higher.
We haven’t received our December heating bills yet, and when we do, some Islanders will surely have trouble paying them — they could be double, triple or even four times the utility bill many pay during a summer month.
Those of us who are able should consider donating to Puget Sound Energy’s Warm Home Fund, which gives assistance to local needy families. It’s easy to give a few dollars or more to the fund — there’s a place to donate on your monthly bill. The fund is a partnership with the Salvation Army.
Vashon is a compassionate place, one where help for residents who need it is plentiful. We are blessed to live on an Island where many residents help others in need.
The Islanders who are working to help others — by keeping wood stoves stoked for needy Vashon families, by participating in the Kiwanis Toy Drive or the Interfaith Council on Homelessness raffle, by giving to the Vashon Maury Community Food Bank or through any other charitable giving that helps Island residents — deserve a hearty thank you. In helping those with less, you make Vashon Island a better place for all of us to live.
