Last week at work I got a call from a weeping elderly woman. She was distraught that there was no energy assistance available to help pay her heating bill. She had a very real fear of not being able to afford to heat her home of 40 years. She wondered out loud whether she would have to choose between moving out, or sit in darkness in her sleeping bag to afford her energy bills. In the 11th hour, money was found to help her pay her bills, but the fear remains.

I work in the social service field providing energy conservation services to low-income people. We help clients save money, energy, and improve the health, safety and comfort of their homes. It is very rewarding, and I see the benefits from my work every day.

However, not everyone sees these services as an essential safety net for millions of Americans. There are those in Washington D.C. and here in Washington State who would cut vital services like the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program in what I believe to be their myopic fervor to "balance the budget." In what world would denying crucial services to your elderly parents and grandparents ever be considered positive? Cuts to social services like energy assistance will drastically decrease the quality of life for millions of Americans struggling to get by. And that's just wrong. Please tell your congressperson to support the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

Nate White

Bellingham