She saw no way out.
By mid-July, Mona thought she had exhausted every option for paying her past-due energy bills. The 66-year-old Avondale resident, battling lung cancer, was counting down the hours until her utilities would be shut off.
“I was in a hopeless position,” she said. “I didn’t know what I’d do because I had no family or friends to call to even try to borrow money.”
Her utility company suggested she call United Way 211.
She picked up the phone, spoke to a 211 resource navigator named Patrick and told him her story.
For more than 20 years, Mona managed a small pizza restaurant. Today, she relies on Social Security benefits and lives in a subsidized apartment with her son, who also struggles with serious health challenges. When he lost his job a few years ago, Mona spent time in a women’s shelter.
Diagnosed with cancer early in 2025, she endured daily radiation and weekly chemotherapy. It sapped her energy. Her utility bills “just got away from me.”
Patrick listened.
“Of the agencies I’ve been dealing with,” Mona said, “he was the most compassionate person I’ve talked to on the phone. I can’t say enough about him. He was just wonderful.”
Patrick told her she was eligible for funds United Way disburses through a contract with the city of Cincinnati to help residents with basic needs, including utility bills. From there, things happened quickly. Hours before her utilities were to be disconnected, she learned her past-due bills were paid.
“It took a load off my shoulders that I’d been carrying for about six months,” Mona said.
Now, her fight against cancer continues. But without the added burden of unpaid bills.
“It feels like I just got a fresh new start.”
