Securing homes and securing futures: the lifeline of Spokane’s SNAP services

Winter in Washington can be unforgiving. As temperatures drop, the cost of staying warm rises — making it harder for many families to keep the heat on. For many years, Commerce’s Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and Spokane Neighborhood Action Partners (SNAP) have worked together to ensure that no one is forced to choose between warmth and other basic needs.

When Christine Wilson’s sewer went out in her home, she learned just how life-altering SNAP services can be. “When a sewer goes, it’s terrible. I couldn’t get a loan, I couldn’t sell it, didn’t know what to do. And my neighbor said, ‘Why don’t you call SNAP?’ I didn’t even know… that they did things for houses. I thought that SNAP was strictly rental assistance.”

SNAP connects the community with resources to help them thrive. Carmen Groom, SNAP’s energy manager, explains that SNAP doesn’t just keep homes warm — they help build stable lives. “From tax prep and small business loans to home repairs and credit building, we meet people where they are to offer real solutions.”

Two weeks after Christine reached out to SNAP, they sent someone to repair her sewer line. As a widow living on a fixed income, she qualified for SNAP’s assistance—relief from a $7,500 expense she couldn’t afford.

Stories like Christine’s highlight our communities need. “People won’t survive without these services. And it’s serving all different types of people,” Carmen told us. “We see people doing their very best to make it.”

SNAP’s mission is to increase human potential, and part of their approach is to support every client holistically. When someone comes to SNAP for one service, they learn about everything else SNAP provides.

In Christine’s case, that meant a full weatherization of her home built in 1905: window replacements, insulation, new doors, and furnace and water heater upgrades. SNAP’s support cut her energy bills in half and made her home significantly more affordable. “You need to know that you’re safe. You need to know that you have a roof over your head,” she emphasized.

Christine once feared she’d be forced into low-income senior housing—stuck on a years-long waitlist, with no choice but to “live in my car with my little doggie.” Today, those fears are behind her.  “SNAP has given me the security to know that I have a place to live. I will always have a place to live.”

Christine’s story is one of many. Through Commerce’s LIHEAP program and SNAP’s holistic approach, these services do more than help—they restore stability, security, and hope. As winter deepens, families don’t have to struggle alone. Together, SNAP and Commerce are keeping homes warm and communities strong, one household at a time.