November 18, 2009

A wreath for a cause
PUD gets creative for the winter heating season

By Kathy Ursprung
The Chronicle

     Employees of Northern Wasco County PUD are turning their creative talents to a knotty problem: how to keep needy people warm through the cold winter months.
     They have designed and built colorful Christmas wreaths for a fundraising drawing to benefit the Neighbor to Neighbor program, which provides power bill relief for people in need.
     The festive wreaths, nine at last count, are hung above the customer service counter at the PUD office at 2345 River Road. Tickets are $1 each, available at the PUD office. Entrants don’t have to be PUD customers.
     “Anyone is welcome to come in and try their luck,” said Linda Wilson of the PUD.
     The drawings will be held the morning of Friday, Dec. 11 and winners will be notified by phone.
     A unique feature of the drawing is that ticket purchasers can choose which wreath they want to compete for by putting a wreath number on their tickets.
“Otherwise, somebody down at the end might get one they didn’t want,” said Wilson, who helps organize the event and provides grape vine for many of the wreaths.
     Separating the drawings increases the ticket purchasers’ odds of getting the wreath they want.
     The wreaths are designed with a variety of themes and color schemes to coordinate with many different styles of décor.
     They are made not only by employees, but also by the wives of some PUD directors.
     The program raised about $400 for Neighbor to Neighbor last year. As its name implies, the program is funded by PUD customer donations to help other qualifying customers of the PUD who find themselves in need of relief on their electricity bills.
     The program is administered by Mid-Columbia Community Action, which screens applicants based on income qualifications.
     “I started the program in 1983 or 1984, so it’s over 25 years old,” Wilson said. “It helps people in our service area who are struggling with high bills. It’s available on time during the heating season and helps people that might fall through the cracks of other programs.”
     Customers of PUD can donate to Neighbor to Neighbor either through a one-time contribution or through a scheduled monthly amount added to their electricity bills.
     Those contributions add up to anywhere between $6,000 and $8,000 each year and help around 120 to 125 families.
     PUD employees have made a habit of getting into the act. In past years they’ve held big garage sales to help fund the program, Wilson said. They may still do that later, but the wreaths are a colorful and seasonal way to raise money.
     “I’m really surprised and pleased with all the wreaths,” Wilson said. “I think they look really professional. Everybody sort of did their own thing.”