My name is Barbara. I am a 70-year-old, disabled woman living in Dutchess County, New York (which is 50 miles north of NYC) with my special needs 19-year-old daughter, my puppy, Nogi and cockatiel, Sam. I am trying to raise funds to have my furnace replaced!!!

I live on a limited income with no savings. On Sunday, January 25th, we had a very bad snowstorm. In November 2025, I had my furnace guy come service it. He told me then that it was old, the parts for it are discontinued and probably not last any longer. The county put it in for me brand new back in 2010 through the Dutchess County weatherization program. All during the morning, I hear my furnace going on/off, on/off trying to keep up with the cold. Around 2:15 pm, I started to feel a chill that was rapidly falling. I checked the thermostat and the temperature in the house had dropped. I then went downstairs to check the furnace and saw an error code flashing. I tried to reset it, and after 3 tries...nothing. I panic, it's cold, it's like a blizzard outside snow coming down fast. I thank God I have 2 space heaters to use to keep us warm. But how do I get help? It's Sunday and Monday nothing will be open because we are in a state of emergency. I emailed 2 of my local legislators. One got back to me right away and gave me an emergency number to call, which I did. The Department of Family Services would be closed tomorrow along with all other county and state offices. So, I won't be able to talk to anyone until Tuesday. Thank God that my electricity did not go out and I had those heaters.

Tuesday comes and I start making calls. I call DFS, my other government officials, the Office for the Aging... everyone I could think of. All I got was "I'm sorry to hear that," "Let me take an emergency heat application," "Call this number if you need more heaters."

I ask, "How long is the process for the emergency heat application?" They tell me, "It could take a few weeks or a month." I ask them, "Do you understand this is an emergency? I have NO HEAT OR HOT WATER???" They say yes, but Ma'am, these things take time... I cry, yell, scream into the phone and all they can tell me is to "calm down!"

Today is Friday, 6 days after my furnace stopped working and I still have no answers. Today, wind chill is to go down to -25, with a nor'easter on its way for the weekend. God forbid I should lose power then I freeze...

I am fundraising to replace (because it cannot be repaired) my furnace so my daughter and I can have heat and hot water again.