PG&E bills can be a crushing monthly household expense.

Just ask Cecily Ballungay.

She has seen “her”  electric and gas bill go up 40.7 percent in the past three years.

Ballungay was writing checks out for $28,000 overall in 2022.

Now that amount has soared to $40,000.

Ballungay is not your typical head of household.

She’s executive directive of HOPE Ministries that operates the HOPE Family Shelters.

At any time there are roughly a dozen “households” relying on HOPE to get back on their feet — six families in long-term transitional housing, seven families in three-month housing, and the rest are single moms with kids.

In a typical year, 225 people have temporary shelter with 60 percent of them children.

HOPE Family Shelters has a 52 percent success rate. That means clients, that include a number that are already working when they seek shelter assistance, are able to secure housing on their own after spending three months living with — and being mentored by — HOPE Family Shelters.

One example is a single mom and her daughter.

The mom, who managed apartments where she also had housing, lost both her job and housing in one fell swoop when a fire destroyed part of the complex.

HOPE was able to help the mom to once again be able to provide shelter and such for her daughter.

The ability to work with struggling families to help themselves to stay off the streets is made possible by a spartan $460,000 a year budget for the non-profit.

Not only are costs — most notably PG&E — rising, but the non-profit has taken a financial hit.

Grants, corporate, church, business, and individual donations over the bulk of the operating expenses.

State and federal grants have never been a large chunk of their budget.

But they are expected to dwindle down to just over $10,000 this year.

It is why this year’s Night of Hope fundraiser is even more important to the organization’s mission.

The dinner event takes place on Friday, Nov. 14, at The Veranda Event Center in downtown Manteca at $85 a person. It starts at 5:30 p.m. with dinner served at 6:30 p.m.

Tickets are available at the HOPE Family Shelters website at hopefamilyshelters.com.  

A general breakdown of the HOPE budget includes:

*$135,000 for maintenance and operation costs such as PG&E, vehicle maintenance, property insurance, pest control, city utilities, and such.

*$30,000 for food, diapers, detergent, cleaning supplies, sundries, and more.

*$25,000 for office related expenses.

*$200,000 for staff salary and benefits for two full-time positions, two-part-time positions, and a contracted psychologist.

Ways to help ease HOPE’s

operating expense burden

Ballungay noted the donation of basic household supplies goes a long way.

Although the donations and welcomed and needed year round, during the holidays HOPE Family Shelters encourages businesses and organizations to stage what might be called “a white Christmas drive.”

They are encouraged to collect things such as paper towels, toilet paper, linens, pillows, and such.

“Anything we don’t have to purchase saves us money,” Ballungay said.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com