About 70 people attended a meeting Tuesday night to talk with Northwest Indiana residents and officials about utility issues before winter sets in.

"You're dealing with human beings, and human beings can't live without energy," said Kathryn Jackson-Weathersby, spokeswoman for Northwest Indiana Association of Community Organizations Reform Now, a group that charges a membership fee to protest on behalf of residents.

"Where does your code of ethics lie? Your house can become a third-world country without utilities," Jackson-Weathersby said.

Sherrice Freeman, 26, of Gary took a break from caring for her six children and her mother to attend the meeting. Her gas was turned off last week and Northern Indiana Public Service Co. is threatening to turn off her electricity.

Freeman said she worries most about her family's health. She said her family fell behind in their bills when the children continued to have health issues, and they've had an outstanding balance of $2,472 since November.

Now that her debt has reached the thousands, Freeman is desperate. "Ain't nobody has 2,000-something dollars at one time," Freeman said.

Community leaders called on NIPSCO to drop debts for those in situations such has Freeman's, and asked NIPSCO to give discounts for low-income families. They also said NIPSCO should limit the number of months a household could go without electricity, and they should justify the reconnect fee NIPSCO charges.

NIPSCO spokesman Tom Cuddy said the company does everything it can to help.

"Our goal is to keep our customers connected," Cuddy said. "If they feel like they can't meet their payments, they need to contact us before that bill is due, so we have the opportunity to get the assistance they need."

Cuddy said NIPSCO gave Freeman's family more than $1,000 in energy assistance last year, in addition to the $250 she received from the township trustee and $400 from NIPSCO's winter warmth program, which provides additional assistance to people who are having problems.

"At some point, your own track record of paying bills catches up with you," Cuddy said, explaining that the last time Freeman paid a full NIPSCO bill was last November.

For those who need additional help, Cuddy suggested they attend NIPSCO's energy fair Oct. 14 at the Genesis Center in Gary, where they can learn how to apply for assistance and how to use their energy efficiently.

Contact Danielle Braff at 648-3079 or dbraff@post-trib.com