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Anthony Westbury: Lack of power can mean life or death
By Anthony Westbury (Contact)
Sunday, September 21, 2008




ST. LUCIE COUNTY — Many of us are only a few paychecks away from financial disaster. Some are already experiencing it.

In these tough economic times, my e-mail inbox is stuffed every week with hard-luck stories. Some, like Carolyn and Dennis Holerger of Port St. Lucie, stand out.

Their roots are deep in St. Lucie County. Dennis served the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office for 26 years as a crime prevention specialist under sheriffs Bobby Knowles and Lanie Norvell. His dad, Sgt. Harold "Pappy" Holerger, was killed in 1985 after being hit by a motorist while working as a crossing guard.

In 2001, Dennis was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as Lou Gehrig's disease. These days Dennis spends much of his time in bed. Moving, even getting up, exhausts him. The disease is progressively weakening his muscles.

Carolyn, a courageous and spunky 64, also has someone else to care for. Her daughter, Sandy, 49, has brain damage. She has a tracheotomy tube and relies on an electric suction pump to keep her airways clear.

The Holergers lost their home in Okeechobee after they couldn't keep up with mortgage payments and moved back to a rental in Port St. Lucie. But they quickly went through their meager savings, and are now several months behind on their Florida Power & Light Co. bill.

Carolyn called every nonprofit in St. Lucie County she could find for financial assistance. Only one, the St. Vincent De Paul Society, could help. They paid a small portion of the Holergers' electric bill, now up to $1,162.

All the other charities told Carolyn they have been overwhelmed with people unable to meet their commitments. There's simply no money left, she was told.

Carolyn found out about FPL's Medically Essential Service program. Her daughter's physician certified Sandy must have electricity to survive. FPL spokesman Mayco Villafana said the utility assigns a case manager to customers like the Holergers and everything possible is done to ensure an uninterrupted supply of power.

That doesn't mean the Holergers won't have to pay their bill, Villafana said, but there are other ways FPL can help those who fall behind on payments. Disconnection is very, very rare, he said.

FPL also sponsors its Care To Share program, which offers emergency assistance to customers in financial crisis. Funded through customer and FPL employee contributions, the program has raised more than $10 million and helped more than 50,000 families since 1994.

Yet the economic downturn is biting deep. Just last week, the FPL Foundation donated another $1 million to the Salvation Army, which administers the program here in St. Lucie County.

It looks like the Holergers may get some help. There are plenty of others who probably need it, too.

For more information, contact the Salvation Army at (772) 464-4846, or visit www.fpl.com/community/crisis_ assistance.shtml

Associate Editor Anthony Westbury may be reached at (772) 409-1320 or

anthony.westbury@scripps.com.



http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2008/sep/...an-life-or-04/