Town steps in to help those in need

Submitted by the Town of Friday Harbor

The Town of Friday Harbor organizes the Harbor Life Ring program as a means of providing funds to lower-income individuals and families who are town water, sewer and refuse customers. The town collects these monies and, with the help of the Family Resource Center providing screening services, allocates the monies from the fund to pay a utility bill for those in need. This service may be requested once every calendar year.

This spring, with the anticipated budget disruptions to hit hundreds of households, the town is asking its utility customers to again step forward and help their neighbors with a Harbor Life Ring donation. Because the needs will be so wide, the town will split all donations received between the utility program and the Friday Harbor Food Bank.

“We understand that everyone has been impacted by the COVID-19 virus, but if you are in a position to help those in the community it would be greatly appreciated,” said Mayor Farhad Ghatan. “We are in this together and we should do what we can to help those in need.”

Town utility customers can expect a letter in their end of March billing statement. Questions about the program can be directed to the Friday Harbor Administrator, Duncan Wilson, at 360-378-2810.