The Community Utility Relief Bank (CURB) is inviting Iola residents to support a meaningful cause this weekend — simply by enjoying a slice of pizza.
This Sunday, Iola’s Pizza Hut will host a special fundraiser in support of the CURB program, which helps those in need pay down their utility bills.
Customers who present a designated flyer when placing their order will have 20% of their total purchase donated to CURB. The event will run all day.
The CURB program is a longstanding collaboration between the City of Iola Clerk’s Office and several local partners, including Humanity House, Wesley United Methodist Church, First Presbyterian, and the Family Resource Center.
Established nearly eight years ago, CURB provides critical assistance to struggling local families.
HUMANITY HOUSE works in conjunction with the CURB program, helping fill in the gaps.
Barbara Button, Humanity House director, explained how the partnership works:
“People in need can get $150, once a year, from CURB to go towards their utility bill. What we do is help pay the remainder of the bill.”
Button noted that the need for such help has increased.
“In 2022, we saw 115 families apply for the funds,” she said. “Last year, there were 192.”
Button says CURB is an important lifeline for people who are struggling to make ends meet. “In some cases, if they get their utilities shut off, they can be evicted,” she said. “CURB is critical.”
A misconception that Button believes is being perpetuated is the assumption that the same people are repeatedly seeking assistance.
“That’s simply not true,” she said. In 2024, Button said that 89% of the people that Humanity House helped had sought assistance only once or twice during the whole year.
“Data going back as far as eight years shows that 80% of people came only once or twice during that eight-year period,” she added.
Button said there are a variety of reasons why someone may need assistance. These could include medical problems, loss of a job, or lack of affordable childcare.
CURB operates year-round and is sustained through community generosity.
