A Center in Starkville helps community with utility bills

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) -“I have seen so many people just hurting and I have seen so many outstanding light bills to the utilities the electricity just mind-blowing some of the bills I have seen come through here,” said Brown.

Mind-Blowing. That could also describe the response of Oktibbeha County residents when J.L King center offered to help contribute to some of those high bills.

They have been able to do this for over two years with a grant from Four County Electric Power Association.

People who came through the center doors received 100 dollars towards their next utility bill but they had to put in a little bit of work on the front end.

“They would come in and take some online informative classes or watch the video for the information you know to take it back home and what they watched and seen on the video they can use and it can help them lower a bill,” said Brown.

JL King Center’s Building Manager Margaret Brown says that people didn’t mind putting in a little work for a huge amount of help.

“They were like I’m glad to do the classes. and I’m like the classes are just informative classes and all three of them take about an hour 15 mins and they tell me I don’t care if it took 4 hours for 100 dollar help ill sit down all day to do those 3 classes they were just glad,” said Brown.

The J. L King Center employee Alison Buehler says the program has a huge impact on participants.

“I think this place changed a lot of lives I’ve seen a lot of lives change here I wouldn’t be here if it didn’t,” said Buehler.

The Center says the grant money has run out, but the need is still there, and that has them looking to the community to come up with help from their neighbors.

“Man I’m sorry that we didn’t have enough to give to everyone that walked into this door,” said Brown.

“We had to find more money there were too many people who put something on Facebook yesterday and a lot of people helped us we didn’t want to turn people away so we will be looking for more money in February to keep that program going,” said Buehler.

If you would like to donate to help the community you can go to the JL King Center’s Facebook page for more.