Readers Offer To Help Family Without Heat ‘I’M Shocked,’ Says Woman Of Quick Public Response

Diane Poor and her three children won’t be heating their drafty north Spokane home with the stove and the oven anymore.

More than 50 people responded to a story of the Poors’ shivering plight in Thursday’s newspaper, offering money, food, clothing and wood.

A 92-year-old woman donated $200 toward fixing the Poors’ furnace. Someone else offered to let Poor and her kids move into her big warm home.

Poor was overwhelmed when she came home from school Thursday. Wood was stacked on the porch. A furnace repair man was en route. A long list of strangers wanted her to call.

“I’m shocked,” she said of the generosity. “You don’t see it when you’re walking out on the streets. I try to say hello, and nobody says anything…. I really do appreciate Spokane coming out in full effort.”

The Spokane Neighborhood Action Programs, which runs the region’s biggest energy assistance program, was bombarded with people wanting to help the Poors and others stuck without heat in subzero weather.

“This is the most response we’ve ever had,” said Julie Pickerel of SNAP. “What we would hope for is that people realize Diane Poor is not an isolated case.”

SNAP is scrambling to find more money to help low-income households with energy bills and furnace repairs since the agency ran out of federal cash weeks ago.

Last year, SNAP helped 12,000 families with their winter heating bills. This year, they don’t have the money to help half that many.

Pickerel said there are hundreds of families waiting for energy assistance and at least 30 with broken furnaces and no way to fix them.

Crises SNAP is now working on include:

A 79-year-old Spokane woman with frozen pipes who lives alone and gets around in a wheelchair.

A 70-year-old Cheney man who lives alone in a trailer that was 35 degrees this morning.

A single Elk mom with four kids - two disabled - who has been without running water for days.

Washington’s Residential Landlord-Tenant Act requires landlords to maintain safe and habitable living quarters.

If water pipes freeze or a furnace breaks, the landlord must repair them within 24 hours of written notice - even if the tenant is behind in the rent, said Tom Tremaine, a poverty law attorney in Spokane.

But Tremaine said the law is often tricky to enforce, especially when a landlord lacks cash for repairs.

That apparently was the case at Poor’s house. Poor said her landlord is a taxi driver and an acquaintance who claimed she couldn’t afford to fix the furnace either.

Poor, who still has not paid the January rent, has been unemployed since June. She has had trouble paying bills while she goes to school and survives on public assistance.

Poor vows to help others in similar binds in the future.

“As soon as I get back on my feet, I’m going to be donating,” she said. “What comes around goes around.”

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: HELPING THE PEOPLE WHO HELP Spokane has many programs helping low-income people through winter crises. Most are financially strapped, however. Here is a partial list: Spokane Neighborhood Action Programs Charitable network that runs energy-assistance program, 1017 W. First Avenue. Needs: Clothes, portable heaters. Contributors can designate where they want their money to go, such as furnace repairs. House of Charity Homeless shelter, 9 W. Main. Needs: socks, gloves, mittens. Omega Outreach Charity, 1918 W. Chelan Ave. Needs: food, warm clothing, blankets, limited financial assistance. Our Place West Central neighborhood charity, 1018 N. Elm Street. Needs: food, hats, gloves, scarves, boots. Salvation Army Safe Center Shelter, 1403 W. Broadway. Needs: blankets, towels, wash cloths, personal-care items. Emergency numbers for the needy: United Way Assistance Line (To learn how to get help.) 624-2277. Tenant Information Hotline (To learn your rights as a tenant.) 838-1632.