Meet Irma from Marshall County

In 2012 they moved back home.  Back home, as far as Irma was concerned, since her mom, brother and other family still lived in the Plymouth area.  She, her husband, and daughter had a pretty good life in Hammond, until her husband was injured on the job in 2010 and couldn’t work anymore.  Workman’s Compensation helped for a while but that became disability income, and for a cost of living like Chicago’s, well...

Moving back to Plymouth was easy in some ways.  They had family around and they were able to buy a house, though it needed work. The house was cold in the winter. The family room was so cold that the grandkids didn’t want to play in it.  A draft could be felt when the wind blew and that same wind would likely blow out the pilot light on the water heater.  The water heater was changed once, by a non-profit organization in the Plymouth area, but it kept happening.  Irma was afraid that the pilot light would blow out, gas would fill her home and hurt her family; again.  They had lived through an apartment building fire in Plymouth in 1995 where they lost everything except their lives.  Irma still worries about a fire.

Then Irma’s mom became ill.  Her brother became mom’s main caregiver, but someone needed to be with mom while he worked.   Irma started caring for her 83 year old mom, every Monday through Friday from 6am to 3pm.

In 2015, Irma’s sister-in-law told her about a program at REAL Services that could possibly help them with the high cost of heating.  Irma and her husband applied to the Energy Assistance Program and received help to pay the heating bill.  They also learned about and qualified for the Weatherization Program at REAL Services. They hoped to have the house insulated.

In 2016 the Weatherization Department checked out the home.  Carbon monoxide was found in the home as well as natural gas and Irma shared about the pilot light on the water heater.  The stove was found to give off too much carbon monoxide and had a gas leak.   This home needed more than insulation to keep the family safe. 

The attic and foundation were air sealed and insulated and a replacement furnace was installed.  The weatherization staff also found that they qualified for a replacement stove and changed the gas water heater to an electric water heater; no more blow-outs, no more leaks, and a lot less worry about the family being safe.

Irma explained “we save about $75.00 a month on heating and that is a lot” and “I don’t have to worry about gas in the house from the water heater”; and yes her grandkids will play in the family room. “I can sit in my home in the winter and feel warm, no breeze.”

Irma said she didn’t know about REAL Services and is very glad she took her sister-in-law’s advice. 

She recommends that if someone needs help and sees information on a bulletin board about REAL Services, they should take the flier with them and call.  She’s glad that she called.