Tammy Reilly was born in Germany and brought to the States at five years old. By the age of 15, she had bounced through the foster care system from family to family and was later adopted. She has called San Bernardino her home for 16 years. She lived in an apartment complex in San Bernardino until Habitat for Humanity made homeownership a reality for her and her family.
Tammy is a mom to two daughters and a grandmother to three grandkids. Her resilience has helped her through many challenges including surviving cervical cancer. She did babysitting jobs, but the meager income barely met the needs of her and her family. In the summertime when temperatures are unbearably hot, she uses swamp coolers and fans to try to stay cool because her central a/c is not working. She was able to qualify for some beautification programs through the City of San Bernardino to get some small renovations done on her home such as; painting and a new rod iron fence, which she said was a huge blessing.
One day, she received a letter from Habitat for Humanity that mentioned GRID, and a neighbor also informed her about an organization that provides no cost solar to qualified homeowners. She gave GRID Alternatives Inland Empire a call to see if she qualified and spoke with an outreach coordinator who told her about GRID’s Energy for All program. “She was so helpful, explaining the process step-by-step and answering all of my questions. I think the program is awesome! I especially like to see the training it provides to young people on how to install solar,” said Tammy. Students from Arroyo High School Core Academy and their instructor recently assisted with the installation of her 4.9 kW DC solar system.
Tammy can soon expect to save between 50 to 75% on her energy bill. She said the savings would help her and her daughter immensely. She has already started sharing the news about GRID’s Energy for All program with neighbors and friends. To see if you qualify for a no cost solar through GRID, visit www.gridsolar.org or call 1-866-921-4696.