The Salvation Army office that serves Middleboro and Lakeville is closing today as its funds dry up at the same time requests for help are soaring. The closing of the office at 23 Wareham St., which serves both towns, means that the agency will no longer provide needy people with assistance in paying their utility bills. The unit has been providing a $100 stipend for utility payments, a figure which had gone down from the previous amount of $150 as requests for help went up. In January, 21 families asked for assistance. Utilities are under a moratorium to not shut off gas or electricity through the end of March but after that needy people could lose power and heat. The office might reopen if the Salvation Army gets enough funding. Meanwhile, people in Middleboro and Lakeville who need assistance should call the Boston office at 617-542-5420 and ask for the service unit extensions. It could not be immediately determined if anyone will lose their job as a result of the closing.  (Brockton Enterprise, February 25, 2009)