Dollar-Help, a not-for-profit corporation, was founded in 1982.
Dollar-Help’s service area includes St. Louis city and nine counties in Eastern Missouri (St. Louis County, St. Charles, Franklin, Jefferson, Iron, Butler, Madison, Ste. Genevieve, St. Francois).
Since its inception, Dollar-Help has raised more than $13.5 million. 100% of all money raised goes directly to help the needy.
Dollar-Help grants are used to pay the heating bills of the poorest of the poor, households averaging an annual income of about $6,500. The grants pay the household’s primary heating source, whether it is natural gas, propane, electricity or fuel oil.
Dollar-Help’s winter heating program runs from November 1 to May 31. Since 2002, Dollar-Help has also offered an "interim" (non-heating season) program from July to late October. This program is designed to help families and older adults keep their heating utility service year-round, avoiding the trauma of disconnection due to inability to pay.
In FY 2005 (July 1, 2004– June 30, 2005) Dollar-Help disbursed $986,885 to 3,110 families.
- In St. Louis City and County, Dollar-Help disbursed more than $614,002 to 1,938
families. - In Butler County, Dollar-Help disbursed more than $75,851 to 250 families.
- In Jefferson County, Dollar-Help disbursed more than $62,448 to 153 families.
- In St. Charles County, Dollar-Help disbursed more than $74,400 to 273 families.
- In Ste. Genevieve, Madison, St. Francois and Iron Counties, Dollar-Help disbursed more
than $60,111 to 294 families. - In Franklin County, Dollar-Help disbursed more than $100,073 to 202 families.
Dollar-Help grants are awarded on an as-needed basis by local social-service agencies using Dollar-Help’s guidelines. Grants can range as high as $700 per household under certain circumstances. In FY 2005, more than 3,110 grant payments were made to low-income households. Grants of up to $300 are normally provided. However, when a special medical, housing or financial crisis exists, additional grants of up to $400 are available. Grants are limited to one per household per fiscal year (July 1 to June 30).
All of the funds that Dollar-Help receives benefit low-income families and older adults. By working with partners such as Laclede Gas, which donates administrative services, and local community service agencies, which disburse the funds, Dollar-Help has no overhead and administrative costs in order to focus its resources on helping low-income families and older adults.
Approximately 90% of Dollar-Help’s total receipts are donations from Laclede Gas customers who "Check the Red Box" and choose to contribute $1, $2, or $5 to become regular monthly donors or who occasionally overpay their gas bill by exactly $1.
More than 67,000 Laclede customers contribute to Dollar-Help through the automatic giving option, a plan that enables Laclede customers to make regular monthly donations by having the amounts they specify added to their gas bill. A total of $821,822.00 was contributed by these generous donors in the Laclede service area.
In addition to the contributions made by others, Laclede Gas Company donated $48,000 in matching funds during FY 2005.
There are five ways to contribute to Dollar-Help:
- Check a Red Box on your natural gas bill: This authorizes Laclede Gas to
automatically add a $1, $2 or $5 contribution to your gas bill every month. - Automatic Giving: Log on to www.dollarhelp.org or call Laclede Gas to
automatically give more than $1 per month. - Overpayment of $1: Overpay your Laclede Gas bill by $1, and that amount will
automatically go to Dollar-Help. - Bequests: Include Dollar-Help in your will by making a bequest to Dollar-Help, Inc.
- Anyone May Give: Make a direct contribution by sending a check to
Dollar-Help, Inc., c/o Cass Bank, P.O. Box 330, St. Louis, MO 63166.
Donations are tax-deductible.