“I’m not hibernating,” she said. “I’m getting up. Ryan’s getting me in the living room. I can sit and socialize for the first time in years.”
Michell- SNAP Client
WEATHERIZATION BRINGS COMFORT, SAFETY AND A NEW BEGINNING
When Michelle moved into her trailer five years ago, she hoped it would be a fresh start. Instead, winter brought freezing floors, plastic-covered windows and space heaters running in nearly every room.
“We had blankets over the windows. Sheets and blankets over every section of the house,” Michelle said. “A little space heater in here. A space heater in the bathroom because we couldn’t afford the power. Just freezing cold in the winter. Super-hot in the summer.”
The furnace blew cold air. Windows leaked. Mold crept down the walls. Doors let in drafts. Beneath the home, debris and moisture added to the problem. Michelle, 63, who lives with her adult son Ryan, was also managing COPD and severe osteoporosis after a fall that broke her hip.
“I thought I was going to come here and die,” she said quietly.
Instead, she found SNAP. Michelle first connected with SNAP through its Energy Assistance program after struggling to keep up with high utility bills. Later, she learned she qualified for Weatherization Services. At the time, her home was in a lease-to-own agreement, which required landlord approval before work could begin.
Once approved, the transformation was extensive.
SNAP crews replaced failing windows. They installed a new front and back door, added thresholds and sealed gaps. Mold was addressed, ventilation improved and a fan installed in the kitchen and bathroom to reduce moisture. Crews removed damaged flooring, cleaned vents, insulated and sealed beneath the home and installed a new furnace with a thermostat.
They also identified and resolved a serious electrical hazard.
A neighbor had spotted sparks near the roofline. An electrician coordinated through SNAP found aluminum wiring where heavy-duty copper was required — a major fire risk. Within days of Michelle calling, the issue was fixed.
“Monday morning the electrician was knocking on the door,” Michelle said. “He said it was a major fire hazard. Now it’s fixed.”
For Michelle, the changes were immediate.
“Immediately,” she said. “I have light in my living room for the first time in five years. It’s not cold when you lay beside the window. There’s not this breeze coming through.” For the first time in years, she didn’t dread winter.
The improved indoor temperature has also helped her health. After months of limited mobility following her hip fracture, warmth made it easier to leave her bedroom and spend time in the living room with her son.
“I’m not hibernating,” she said. “I’m getting up. Ryan’s getting me in the living room. I can sit and socialize for the first time in years.”
In November, Michelle’s story took another turn. On her birthday, she received notice that her lease-to-own contract had been satisfied. The home was officially hers.
“I cried for two days,” she said. “I sent a message to everybody — I’m a homeowner. It’s mine.” In an email to SNAP staff, she wrote: “We haven’t even had to turn on the heat yet! It’s such a wonderful feeling… Every time I look out a window, every time I walk across the floor, every time I open the door… I am so relieved to find warmth and seals and no freezes.”
Michelle said the kindness of the SNAP team meant as much as the repairs.
“They were so kind. Every single one of the workers worked hard and went out of their way,” she said. “They saved us.”
Now, instead of warning neighbors about the cold, she encourages them to call. “I’ve already told my neighbor,” she said. “Call SNAP and see what they can do to help you, because they are a godsend.”
For Michelle, Weatherization was more than home repairs. It was safety. Stability. Dignity. Now, as winter settles in, her home is warm and steady against the cold.
“This winter I was warm,” she said. “My feet weren’t hurting from the floor. There’s no bugs, no mice. I feel almost normal for the first time in five years.”
Instead of bracing for freezing temperatures, Michelle is settled comfortably inside the home she now owns — heat running efficiently, windows sealed tight, light filling the living room. For the first time in years, winter no longer feels like something to survive. It feels like home.
We would appreciate your support as we provide opportunities to people in need.