“You never know what the power of helping people will do.”
Cecil Daniels
KEEPING 16,000 SPOKANE RESIDENTS WARM – THE IMPACT OF LIHEAP IN 2024
When winter settles in over Spokane, thousands of families face the harsh reality of choosing between heating their homes or affording other necessities. Spokane Neighborhood Action Partners (SNAP) is working to make sure that no one must make that choice. Through programs like the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and Avista Utilities My Energy Discount, SNAP provides vital support, helping residents pay their heating and electric bills.
In 2024 alone, SNAP assisted 16,000 individuals in Spokane County with LIHEAP, making it possible for families, seniors, and individuals with disabilities to stay warm despite financial hardships. Without this critical resource, many households would be forced to skip meals, delay essential medications, or endure dangerously cold living conditions.
Their house was difficult to heat, and they were a one-income household. As temperatures dropped, the twins became sick because the heat couldn’t reach the back of the house. A LIHEAP grant helped his family get through the winter, though at the time, Daniels didn’t realize the significance of the assistance they had received.
“Once I started working in the LIHEAP program, it was an aha moment to me—this was the same program that helped me,” he said.
“Everything about their organization (SNAP) lives up to their title,” said Cecil Daniels, Managing Director of Community Economic Opportunities at the Washington State Department of Commerce. “Mission-driven, innovative, data-driven decision-making, but most importantly, they have the people at the heart of their service. And frankly, they’re one of our stronger partners at Commerce.”
For Daniels, the impact of energy assistance is deeply personal. Years ago, his own family in North Thurston County struggled to heat their home. He and his partner lived in a small residence with two children, twin sisters.
Now grown, both twins have graduated from the University of Washington and are pursuing master’s degrees, one in social work and the other in teaching.
“You never know what the power of helping people will do,” Daniels said. “They will now go out to society and perpetuate generational healing all because of services that they received.”
Beyond energy assistance, SNAP offers weatherization services, homebuyer education, small business support, and more to empower Spokane residents. By connecting households to additional resources such as transportation, housing assistance, and home repair, SNAP serves as a beacon of hope for those in need.
WHY LIHEAP MATTERS
LIHEAP DOESN’T JUST PROVIDE WARMTH. IT PROTECTS FAMILIES FROM FINANCIAL AND HEALTH CRISES. WITHOUT PROGRAMS LIKE LIHEAP:
- Seniors and individuals with disabilities, often on fixed incomes, struggle to afford rising heating costs.
- Families with young children face impossible choices between childcare, utilities, and other essentials.
- Many households’ resort to unsafe heating methods or keep their homes at dangerously low temperatures.
- Cold homes lead to increased illness, making it harder for household members to recover and stay healthy.
WE WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT AS WE PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES TO PEOPLE IN NEED.