Weatherization Works!

 

                My name is Scott Fitzpatrick and I work for the Human Resources Council District XII Weatherization Program. I grew up in Anaconda, MT. My mother was a single parent with three children. After the Anaconda Company shut down, work was hard to find. My mother had no choice but to go on welfare. We grew up on welfare most of our lives, and believe me it was not easy. There were tough decisions to make at times, whether or not to have food or pay the power, rent, etc. Most of the time, bills came before food, clothing, or other life essentials.

 

                I watched as most of my friends got many of the things I had to learn to go without. The two greatest things that came out of all of that was I decided as a future parent, not to let my children go through the same things I had to go through, and also I learned that someone does truly care.

 

                I say, “someone does truly care” because of one thing I learned as a teenager. One day my mother got a power bill and it had “Credit” on it, My God, CREDIT, what was that? Most of the time it was in the deficit and also accompanied by a shut off notice. She told me that she had applied for what was called LIHEAP. They helped us out with our power bill, and also helped us weatherize our home. I could not believe my eyes. Most of the time people looked down on us because we were dependant on the “system”. These wonderful people at District XII actually were excited that they could help us. They treated us with respect I had never been exposed to before.

 

                Now after this was done, LIHEAP and Weatherization, our bills went down so my mother had enough monies left over to purchase a car, not a great one but a car. After she had gotten a car, she shortly found a job. What an experience! A JOB. Not welfare anymore, but a job! For the first time in my life I could hold my head up and not worry about other peoples thoughts, I had respect for myself finally and so did my brothers; my family was changed.

 

                After I graduated High School, I knew I wanted a job where I helped others, as my family had been helped. I applied at the Human Resources Council Dist. XII for a Weatherization Installers position. I was hired under what was called the JTPA (Job Training Partnership Act). By the time I was ineligible for the JTPA Program, I was a better person and excelled in the Weatherization field and was hired full time in the Weatherization Department. I have received training and traveled all around Montana, and the US. I have a good paying job and my family has benefited greatly. My children did not have to go through what I had gone through, as I promised myself.

 

                All of the programs listed above are centered at the Human Resources Council Dist. XII in Butte, MT. This agency depends highly on CSBG dollars. If one needs an example of the agencies usefulness, look at me. If it were not for the Human Resources Council and the CSBG dollars that allow it to coordinate our Weatherization work with the other resources for people I would not be were I am at today. It changed my life.

 

Sincerely,