Story Created: Dec 15, 2008 at 7:50 PM MDT
Story Updated: Dec 16, 2008 at 7:09 PM MDT
"It is definitely cold," said Jamie Brastrup of Boise.
It doesn't take long for Brastrup to feel the arctic chill when stepping out her house to check her mail.
"I am definitely wishing for 90 degree weather that's for sure," Brastrup said.
And she said she can't imagine being able to stand the cold without firing up the heater.
"It's nice to have it, so you can actually turn your heat on," Brastrup said. "Because as soon as you walk outside it's like walking into a freezer."
But she wouldn't be able to do that without a little help, especially since she's like 44,000 other Idahoans who are out of work and looking for a job.
"As you are looking for work, you obviously don't have a whole lot of money," Brastrup said. "So, you pay what you can, and see what needs to be paid and what you can get assistance on."
Brastrup is one of 20,000 Idahoans getting energy assistance through Community Action Partnership. In fact, the organization says it's seeing record numbers of applicants.
"We are already a quarter in our projected amount, and we are only a month into the season," said Christina Zamora, the organization's Energy Programs Coordinator.
Zamora says the group is already helping nearly a thousand more people compared to this time last year, and she expects that number to grow before the season is done.
"The agencies are seeing a lot more new applicants that aren't familiar with the program who don't really want to ask for help," Zamora said.
But with a suffering economy many like, Brastrup, are out of work and down on luck needed a helping hand for just a few months.
"Sometimes need a break from paying the power bill for a couple months," Brastrup said.
That's why energy assistance is helping pick more and more Idahoans up.
Zamora says many in Ada County are getting energy assistance: one, being the highest populated in the state; and two, due to the recent lay-offs. And she says one out of five residents in Payette County need the agency's help to stay warm this winter.
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