Fall River, MA – April 30, 2020 Liberty Utilities, a sponsor of the Massachusetts Good Neighbor Energy Fund, is appealing to local residents and businesses to make a donation to the Fund due to the heightened urgency of need brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Fund assists households that do not qualify for federal or state assistance and are in temporary crisis, including individuals laid off or furloughed due to the coronavirus, with the payment of their home energy expenses. The Fund has raised more than $22 million and assisted over 90,250 households in need with the payment of monthly energy expenses since its inception in 1985.

The Fund’s sponsoring energy companies across the state, including Liberty Utilities, support their respective customers’ generosity to the Fund through various giving programs. Massachusetts residents who wish to support the Fund can give by using the green-colored Good Neighbor Energy Fund donation envelope found as an insert in monthly energy bills or local residents and businesses can also donate on-line at www.magoodneighbor.org or mail a check payable to “Good Neighbor Energy Fund” to the Good Neighbor Energy Fund, c/o The Salvation Army, 25 Shawmut Road, Canton, Massachusetts 02021-1408.

“During this crisis, the Good Neighbor Energy Fund is a vital source of relief to those eligible households who are experiencing a loss of income due to the coronavirus,” said Alisha Camara, GNEF Committee Member for Liberty Utilities. “We urge all residents, especially those in Fall River, North Attleboro, Plainville, Somerset, Swansea, and Westport, who are able to consider a donation to the Fund to help neighbors whose livelihoods have been directly impacted by the pandemic.”

The Fund is often the last resort for households whose gross income falls between 60 and 80 percent of the state’s median income levels. For example, a household size of 4 would need to have a total gross yearly income of between $71,847 and $95,795 to qualify. To apply to the Fund for assistance, call 800-334-3047 if you live in area codes 508, 617, 781 or 978 or 800-262-1320 if you live in area code 413. The Salvation Army Massachusetts Division, which administers the Fund for the sponsoring energy companies, pays the energy provider directly on behalf of the households. This campaign year’s Fund disbursement is $250 per eligible household.