Rachael9221971
New Member
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2020
- Messages
- 2
My last post, or thread, or whatever was about me having about 2 weeks to get my own Solar system going. Since then a couple things changed so that I have more time and WAY LESS STRESS! I appreciate any and all replies and apologize for not following up. But the reason for my posting today is why I have put mine on hold (and since there was the unexpected pause for all my issues, it seems it must be a worthy enough cause 
Ok first off, I live in Arbuckle, Ca.(Tiny Town) and Dunnigan, Ca. Is 10 miles South of Arbuckle (equally tiny) I grew up in Dunnigan, and later moved to Arbuckle. So I know almost everyone in both towns, and for generations. As a matter of fact, everyone knows everyone. So how people here can just ignore some of the families in such serious need is beyond me. But it is what has been happening here since before the Pandemic began, and still, even with all the talk of togetherness and being here for one another, and how Black lives matter. I guess they are referring to the Black people everywhere else but here. I know of 3 families in Dunnigan alone who have been without power and water for more than a year already. I am sure there are many more of many races, not only Blacks. But they will be ignored from what I can see. I'm not sure of the reasons of all the families for why, except for the place where I lived briefly (6 mos). I had no place to go, and this family did not hesitate to say I could park my trailer there for as long as I needed. They had power at that time. After I moved there, talking with the wife of the land owner, who is now a very good friend of mine, told me something I will never forget. It was not what she told me, but the look on her face that kills me.. I asked her how much her pg&e bill had shot up since I moved there because I wanted no hardships on her. And she told me that she really doesn't know the answer to that question. And she went on to say, after her husband went to prison, where he still is currently, she had lost her job at one point and just got buried underneath all the bills that racked up so quickly, she couldn't catch up even after she found another job. And she said that even though she tried to make payment arrangements , Pg&e still came and shut off her power. I thought it pretty harsh especially considering that without power, they have no water, because they all have Wells. Afterabout a month or so, a friend of her husbands stopped by and said he was asked to check on her. He knew the situation already from her husband, and he told her not to worry he would take care of it. And that he did, but apparently he did it illegally. He went over and rigged her power line and got her power back on! She had no idea of how, she was just so thankful to have things back the way they were. She had water, could use her AC. She was ecstatic! Until one night in the phone with her husband she mentioned having Pg&e come out to light the pilot on her furnace. Her husband then told her she could not call them for any reason, and why.. She knew he was only trying to help and couldn't stand to see her living that way, and although she knew it was wrong, she left it because it is so very extremely hard living like that. With the heat in summer more times than not in the Triple digits, and no relief. No lights, no TV, no showers or laundry etc etc But the look of such humiliation and embarrassment and shame for having ever accepted it after she knew wore on her harder than any one of those triple digit temperature days of suffering and no relief. The fact that she felt so guilty for having illegal use of the pg&e was killing her inside. But life is so miserable without it she didn't know what to do. So I tried to help. I said we could put the pg&e in my name and then it will be legal. So the next day I called and told them I was moving to that residence and I would like to have power in my name. They said it was fine and they could turn it on the very next day. My friend went to the friend of her husbands to ask him to please undo what he had done but she couldn't find him. So they came to turn it on and saw it had been tampered with, and refused to reconnect her. I tried to explain what had happened and pointed out that we were trying to make it right at least, but nothing we said made any difference. I tried to speak to a supervisor, with no luck, they came on the line very briefly only to say that the power will remain off to that address "Indefinitely". Even with all these new programs for "Going Solar", they will not even consider her home as qualifying! I lived that way with my friend for 6 months, no power, no water. And it is so very miserable. First I would like to ask, if anyone who might read this and could possibly donate anything to help this family, any advice, some old equipment, that they might be able to use please find it in your hearts to help this family, and others. But more specifically I am asking for How I might get Solar to power their Well pump. I am only seeing the kind they use for irrigating Orchards and to watering Cattle. Even if water is the only thing I can do to help this family, I know it will take a good 85 to 90% of the stress load off of this poor woman. As I mentioned before, she carried such guilt over "stealing" the power, and they did not even hesitate to shut her down , regardless of how she was trying to rectify the situation. They need to power their home and they need water. After the pandemic began no one came to help them shelter in place but me, and I'm not all that much help... Well not for things like "Solar" and converting things from DC to AC or vice versa.. but I will pay what I can and put all my effort into this if someone can tell me how to do this... Please...
Ok first off, I live in Arbuckle, Ca.(Tiny Town) and Dunnigan, Ca. Is 10 miles South of Arbuckle (equally tiny) I grew up in Dunnigan, and later moved to Arbuckle. So I know almost everyone in both towns, and for generations. As a matter of fact, everyone knows everyone. So how people here can just ignore some of the families in such serious need is beyond me. But it is what has been happening here since before the Pandemic began, and still, even with all the talk of togetherness and being here for one another, and how Black lives matter. I guess they are referring to the Black people everywhere else but here. I know of 3 families in Dunnigan alone who have been without power and water for more than a year already. I am sure there are many more of many races, not only Blacks. But they will be ignored from what I can see. I'm not sure of the reasons of all the families for why, except for the place where I lived briefly (6 mos). I had no place to go, and this family did not hesitate to say I could park my trailer there for as long as I needed. They had power at that time. After I moved there, talking with the wife of the land owner, who is now a very good friend of mine, told me something I will never forget. It was not what she told me, but the look on her face that kills me.. I asked her how much her pg&e bill had shot up since I moved there because I wanted no hardships on her. And she told me that she really doesn't know the answer to that question. And she went on to say, after her husband went to prison, where he still is currently, she had lost her job at one point and just got buried underneath all the bills that racked up so quickly, she couldn't catch up even after she found another job. And she said that even though she tried to make payment arrangements , Pg&e still came and shut off her power. I thought it pretty harsh especially considering that without power, they have no water, because they all have Wells. Afterabout a month or so, a friend of her husbands stopped by and said he was asked to check on her. He knew the situation already from her husband, and he told her not to worry he would take care of it. And that he did, but apparently he did it illegally. He went over and rigged her power line and got her power back on! She had no idea of how, she was just so thankful to have things back the way they were. She had water, could use her AC. She was ecstatic! Until one night in the phone with her husband she mentioned having Pg&e come out to light the pilot on her furnace. Her husband then told her she could not call them for any reason, and why.. She knew he was only trying to help and couldn't stand to see her living that way, and although she knew it was wrong, she left it because it is so very extremely hard living like that. With the heat in summer more times than not in the Triple digits, and no relief. No lights, no TV, no showers or laundry etc etc But the look of such humiliation and embarrassment and shame for having ever accepted it after she knew wore on her harder than any one of those triple digit temperature days of suffering and no relief. The fact that she felt so guilty for having illegal use of the pg&e was killing her inside. But life is so miserable without it she didn't know what to do. So I tried to help. I said we could put the pg&e in my name and then it will be legal. So the next day I called and told them I was moving to that residence and I would like to have power in my name. They said it was fine and they could turn it on the very next day. My friend went to the friend of her husbands to ask him to please undo what he had done but she couldn't find him. So they came to turn it on and saw it had been tampered with, and refused to reconnect her. I tried to explain what had happened and pointed out that we were trying to make it right at least, but nothing we said made any difference. I tried to speak to a supervisor, with no luck, they came on the line very briefly only to say that the power will remain off to that address "Indefinitely". Even with all these new programs for "Going Solar", they will not even consider her home as qualifying! I lived that way with my friend for 6 months, no power, no water. And it is so very miserable. First I would like to ask, if anyone who might read this and could possibly donate anything to help this family, any advice, some old equipment, that they might be able to use please find it in your hearts to help this family, and others. But more specifically I am asking for How I might get Solar to power their Well pump. I am only seeing the kind they use for irrigating Orchards and to watering Cattle. Even if water is the only thing I can do to help this family, I know it will take a good 85 to 90% of the stress load off of this poor woman. As I mentioned before, she carried such guilt over "stealing" the power, and they did not even hesitate to shut her down , regardless of how she was trying to rectify the situation. They need to power their home and they need water. After the pandemic began no one came to help them shelter in place but me, and I'm not all that much help... Well not for things like "Solar" and converting things from DC to AC or vice versa.. but I will pay what I can and put all my effort into this if someone can tell me how to do this... Please...
