HPS Energy Receives Florida Municipal Electric Association “Building Strong Communities” Award

Photo: City of Homestead

Homestead Public Services (HPS) Energy received statewide recognition at the Florida Municipal Electric Association (FMEA) Energy Connections Virtual Conference for its efforts to offer extra community services through the Homestead Energy Lend a Hand Program (HELP) in order to provide assistance to eligible families and individuals with their Homestead utility payment. HELP provides one-time assistance of up to $200 per year per residence to any Homestead utility customer who is facing a crisis and cannot pay their bill.

“As HPS customers started to face the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic, it just made sense to begin offering more assistance by reinvigorating HELP, which had originally launched more than a decade ago during another time of financial crisis,” said Barbara Quiñones, Director of HPS Energy.

Funding for HELP is provided through the HPS budget and gracious donations from utility customers who want to assist those in need. Since the start of the COVID-19 Pandemic, HELP has provided a total of $13,090.18 in utility assistance to 69 households.

“Public power utilities have always been community-focused and invested in programs that give back to their communities. This year, with the pandemic impacting nearly every facet of our daily lives, public power utilities have found many ways to assist their communities during this difficult time. From easing financial hardships for customers to providing distance learning resources to students and teachers to providing food for those in need, public power utilities have stepped forward to help community members navigate the challenges COVID-19 has brought,” said Amy Zubaly, FMEA Executive Director.

“We commend HPS for everything they have done to positively impact the lives of their families, friends and neighbors, especially in a year that has been everything but normal. We thank all the recipients for doing what they do best by putting the community they serve first,” added Zubaly.