The people we serve are especially vulnerable to the elements for many reasons: age and health conditions being just the start of the issues they are facing. EnergyCare is an organization that has been focusing on helping people age in place for 40 years. We know that seniors who are able to remain at home and live independently as long as possible are those who have the best health and life expectancy outcomes. Assisting seniors, and people with disabilities and chronic conditions to maintain safe homes, is vital. Over half of the housing stock in the St. Louis region was built before 1940, and many older homes have inefficient insulation – letting in drafts and letting out heat and cool air. As a result, high energy costs are common. The portion of your income you spend on utilities is called “energy burden” in the St. Louis region, low-income households experience energy burdens twice that of wealthier households. Many of our clients live in older homes, brick homes in the city and county, and are struggling to make ends meet on the homes they have worked their entire lives to own. Unable to maintain the homes, and unable to sell to move to a better insulated home, many seniors are left with few options. Some of our clients choose between paying utility bills or filling needed prescriptions. Your support helps keep the lights, heat, and life saving air conditioning on in homes for struggling families and seniors across the St. Louis region.