COVINGTON, Ky. (Jan. 31, 2023) – "I hate being in this situation," 60-year-old Sandy Suer said.

Her husband died 12 years ago. Car accidents have left her disabled and unable to work. She relies on Social Security disability benefits. She breathes with the help of supplemental oxygen. She lives with her son, who is her caretaker, in a Covington apartment.

"There are days I don't feel up to doing anything at all, because everything hurts still," Sandy said.

This winter a tough situation was made worse when she couldn't pay a utility bill.

"I was trying to find help. Somebody told me to call 211." That's the United Way Helpline. It's staffed 24/7 by care coordinators who can connect callers to essential community services such as finding food or getting help paying bills.

"I talked to this wonderful woman at 211," Sandy said. "Her name was Sharyn. She offered me help with a (gift) card."

Sandy was one of the first people to benefit from a new collaboration involving United Way and Duke Energy to provide support to 1,000 Northern Kentucky households experiencing hardship. Duke Energy contributed $150,000 to the effort, an amount matched by United Way.

"It was a wonderful gift," said Sandy, who used it to pay a utility bill. "I greatly, greatly appreciate it. It helped me out tremendously."

United Way of Greater Cincinnati is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization [Tax ID: 31-0537502]. Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.