The city is now letting Denton residents pay their neighbors’ utility bills with a donation.
It’s part of a new initiative called Powerful Connections that allows individuals to make donations and gift payments toward utility services for other residents, including electricity, water, solid waste or recycling.
Participants can choose to gift a specific individual or business, to donate to or send a donation to an anonymous family.
“By lifting each other up, we create a more resilient and united community,” Christa Foster, Denton’s customer service manager, said in a news release Friday. “Powerful Connections provides financial relief for those in need and offers a meaningful alternative for anyone looking to give a truly impactful gift.”
To participate, residents must provide as much information as possible about their intended recipient, including name, address, phone number and email address.
That information helps the city locate the account and ensure the gift is applied correctly. Participants may also choose to donate to an anonymous family in need.
Separate from Powerful Connections, residents can also make tax-deductible donations to an anonymous family experiencing financial hardship. That donation will be applied to the Plus One utility assistance fund for distribution to qualifying families.
Residents can fill out an online form to send their donations and complete the payment online, or download the form and mail payment or hand-deliver it to the utilities customer service office at City Hall East, 601 E. Hickory St.
Denton customer service representatives cannot disclose or confirm any account information, including account balances. Therefore, donors must designate the gift amount and fill out the form as completely and accurately as possible to ensure the payment is applied to the desired account.
Learn more about the new Powerful Connections program online.