MOSES LAKE - Grant County residents who find themselves struggling to pay their power bills may not have to worry about having their electricity shut off.

It is because the PUD aims to help families in need avoid just that through their Share the Warmth project.

Grant PUD started the Share the Warmth fund in the 1980s, as a way to help power customers experiencing tough times keep up with payments on their electric bills.

So far, Share the Warmth has helped 294 families in Grant County keep their electricity on this year. As of Nov. 30, about $28,957 had been donated to the fund.

More than $46,500 was donated to Share the Warmth in 2011, which helped 177 families with their power bills. PUD officials said they hope to raise about the same amount by the end of this year.

Customer service supervisor Terry McKenzie said the Share the Warmth fund is the agency's way to help customers who are struggling to make their monthly payments. While the fund helps customers year-round, McKenzie said that many customers experience hardships during winter.

"Winter time is where everyone has larger bills," she said. "This just helps them get through the hard times."

McKenzie said that Opportunities Industrialization Center of Washington (OIC) helps identify customers who need help paying their power bills each month. Some customers who receive Share the Warmth funds are customers who have recently lost jobs and who are experiencing other financial hardships, she said.

McKenzie said she is really proud of the way the community has come together to make sure families in need don't have to worry about their power disconnected.

"People that give to Share the Warmth are our customers, and the people that it helps are our customers," said McKenzie. "That's the great thing about it."

McKenzie said while many customers donate small amount to the Share the Warmth fund each month while paying their power bills, some customers make large one-time donations.

"We had a gentleman come in and donate $300," McKenzie stated. "He said he was helped by Share the Warmth during a tough winter for his family and he wanted to return the favor."

The Share the Warmth fund also saw a big spike when Moses Lake High School senior Sadee Smigaj donated money raised during her senior project.

Smigaj recently held a car wash and other events to raise $410 for the program.

"(The $410) may not be much, but to some people, it means a lot to them," Smigaj told PUD.

PUD customers can donate to Share the Warmth when they pay their power bills, whether online or at any of PUD's offices. McKenzie said customers can also opt to pledge a certain amount to be added to their bill each month.

To learn more about donating to Share the Warmth, visit gcpud.org online or call (509) 766-2505.