Something broke. Let's fix it forward.
Utility bills, home repairs, car trouble, a dead furnace, an empty oil tank — there are real programs for every one of these, and none of them charge you a cent.
Six kinds of help, on the board.
Utility bills
LIHEAP cash grants for heat, crisis grants when you're near shutoff, and Customer Assistance Programs that peg the monthly bill to your income — with old debt forgiven as you pay.
Open utility helpHome repairs
Roof, heater, plumbing, accessibility ramps — nonprofit and city programs repair owner-occupied homes free or at deep discount. Waitlists are real, so apply before it's an emergency.
Open home repairFree weatherization
Insulation, air sealing, and sometimes heating repairs, done free for income-qualified households. It's the only program here that keeps paying you back every month afterward.
Open weatherizationCar trouble
A dead car costs people their jobs. Low-cost repair programs, donated-vehicle organizations and one-time emergency funds exist exactly for this.
Open car helpAppliances
Before replacing anything: the 50% rule below. When it truly is finished, scratch-and-dent outlets and Habitat ReStores sell the same machine for a fraction of retail.
Open appliance helpOne-time emergencies
A single bill that's about to topple everything — emergency funds from Salvation Army, Modest Needs, and county programs cover exactly one hit like this.
Open emergency fundsThe 50% rule saves more than any grant.
Replace an appliance only when BOTH are true: it's past half its expected life, and the repair costs more than half of a new one. If only one is true — repair it.
A surprising share of "dead" machines fail on one cheap part: a dryer belt, an oven igniter, a fridge start relay. Diagnose before you assume.