HUGHESVILLE, Maryland — An overflowing drop box at the Hughesville office of the Maryland Energy Assistance Program has a local woman in need of help worried. She contacted TheBayNet with photos of the stuffed slot in the door at the office.
A sign outside the agency notes that the office is closed to the public but that applications for energy assistance can be submitted electronically, mailed in, or dropped off at the office door. Our source was shocked by what she saw. “Their maildrop at the office had other people’s paperwork hanging out of it. I wasn’t going to leave my paperwork sticking out of it. Your license and your Social Security card is in the paperwork.”
However, the slot to the door is overflowing with papers. The woman who contacted us said she stopped by to drop off paperwork to apply for energy assistance. She said she’s been unable to contact anyone via the phone, so she chose to submit her application paperwork in person as instructed on the MEAP website.
Those applications contain confidential information such as:
- Copy of Applicant’s photo identification
- Proof of Residency
- Copies of Social Security cards for the entire household (including children)
- Proof of your household’s total Gross income for the last 30 day period
- A copy of your most recent Utility bill, termination notice
- A copy of your most recent heating fuel bill or receipt
Our source took several photos of the overflowing slot. “I thought about contacting the people who had their names and addresses on the envelope to let people know their stuff was hanging out.”
Our source said she’s not looking to cause a problem for the agency, “The last thing I want to do is create drama. for them. It’s important for people to know this is messed up. I’ve been trying to get someone on the phone for the past two and a half weeks, because they closed.”
She’s already contacted police to let them know about the potential exposure of personal information. TheBayNet attempted to contact MEAP but have not heard back from them yet.