Helping Your Neighbors Pay Heating Bills [AUDIO]

Winter is fast approaching which means the Mercury will be plummeting. The ongoing brutal economy and just been too much for many New Jerseyans to bear and they're having trouble keeping up with their bills.

Assembly members Elease Evans, Upendra Chivukula, Charles Mainor, Jason O'Donnell, Annette Quijano, and Ruben Ramos are co-sponsoring a bill to make it easier for Garden State residents to make donations to NJ SHARES, a statewide organization that assists New Jersey families who are struggling financially and cannot afford to pay their heating bills. The measure would allow taxpayers to make voluntary contributions to NJ SHARES on their gross income tax returns.

Evans says," This money most importantly will help the working people and people who are on unemployment who are not eligible for the heat money that comes through the federal government."

The bill establishes the "NJ SHARES Fund" and provides for a designation on the state gross income tax return that allows taxpayers to make voluntary contributions to the fund for distribution to NJ SHARES. NJ SHARES provides assistance to individuals and families living in New Jersey in need of temporary help in paying their energy bills. To qualify, an individual or family must be facing a financial crisis and not be eligible for welfare or other income-based energy assistance programs. Recipients must also have a history of good-faith payments of their utility bills.

"We have heard of too many instances where fires have started in homes and people have been injured or worse, because they were using candles for light or ovens to keep warm," says Evans. "Allowing taxpayers to contribute to this cause directly from their income tax returns will assist NJ SHARES in their work to help New Jersey families struggling to make ends meet, keep up with their bills and hopefully prevent any potential tragedies."

Chivukula says, "Sometimes people want to help but don't know how. Giving people the option to donate a portion of their income tax return will make it easier for even more people to donate, and support NJ SHARES, which has helped thousands of struggling New Jersey families keep up with their utility bills, while they get back on track financially."

"A missed bill payment can turn into several and eventually a financial nightmare if a family is experiencing an economic hardship," explains O'Donnell. "By allowing taxpayers to use their tax refunds to make an automatic contribution to NJ SHARES, we can make sure needy residents will receive the help they need until they are back on solid financial footing."

The bill awaits final legislative approval, after it was released by the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee last week. It was approved 77-0 by the Assembly earlier this month.