SEVCA and WCFR join together for "Share the Warmth"

With the average cost of home heating oil up as much as $1.00 (3.41/gal) and propane up 57 cents (2.56/gal) from last year, local residents have struggled more than ever this year to keep their homes warm during the recent frigid weather.

Assisted by WCFR’s Station Manager Ray Kimball, Southeastern Vermont Community Action (SEVCA) embarked on the “Share the Warmth” campaign to raise money for fuel funds to help low-income families.

“We knew it was going to be a bad season when we started getting calls this summer from people in a panic because for the first time they couldn’t afford the ‘pre-buy’ plan from their fuel dealers,” stated Development Director Lisa Clarke. “They felt helpless and didn’t know what to do.”

Statewide, 26,780 people have signed up for Vermont’s Seasonal Fuel Assistance program, over 1,100 more than last year. For those who were not eligible for that program, SEVCA’s Crisis Fuel program couldn’t start soon enough. When the program opened on November 26, it was running over full capacity. According to Family Services Director Pat Burke, “We had over 3 times as many people applying for emergency fuel in the first week as we did last year. Even with two extra Crisis Fuel workers and many other staff pitching in, we had trouble meeting the demand. People are living in the most dangerous conditions to keep warm. One gentleman with no heat was trying to keep warm with an electric blanket. Another had pulled his gas grill into his apartment and was hovering over it. We heard of people leaving their ovens open, running the dryer, maxing out their electric bills with space heaters. It’s frightening.”

The “Share the Warmth” campaign was started to help alleviate the desperate situation that so many Windham and Windsor county residents found themselves in. Thankfully, local companies and their employees have stepped up to the plate. After Cota and Cota kicked off the campaign with the first $1,000 check (they later gave another $1,000 as well), Rich Senerchia of Athens Pizza in Bellows Falls offered to attach ‘Share the Warmth” flyers to his pizza boxes during the month of December. That generated buzz about the campaign at the rate of 2,000 pizzas a week! When the employees of Emergency Services of New England, the company that operates Springfield Hospital’s emergency room, decided to donate money to “Project Feed the Thousands” instead of exchanging gifts; the owners decided to create match their generosity. Recognizing the “Heat or Eat” dilemma, owners John Bond, Rachel Spengler, Will Hoser, and Cary Stratford matched their employees’ gift with a $2,450 donation to the “Share the Warmth” fund. And Merriam Graves recently came through just in time with a $3,000 gift.

According to SEVCA officials, as of January 28th $133,811 of its state emergency Crisis Fuel money has been used only 9 weeks into the program for a 22 ½ week season. “That’s almost 75% of our current state funding for the entire season spent already,” worried Steve Geller, SEVCA’s Executive Director. “Our crisis fuel coordinator predicts that we’ll be out of that money by the 2nd week of February, but I think that may be optimistic if the weather stays as cold as it has been. We’re hoping for more, but it just shows how important these private heat funds are. We’ll need them all through the season until Spring. These donations from local companies and their employees truly embody the spirit of sharing the warmth in the most literal way. We are very grateful for the generosity that they are extending to their neighbors.”

Anyone wishing to donate to SEVCA to help keep people from “falling through the cracks” may send a check to SEVCA, 91 Buck Drive, Westminster, VT 05158, or call 1-800-464-9951 to charge their gift to their credit card or to get more information. All contributions to SEVCA are 100% tax deductible.

SEVCA is the non-profit organization designated by state and federal officials to address the full range of needs of low-income residents of Windham and Windsor Counties. In addition to providing the “safety net” for households in financial crisis, their services help them stabilize their lives, make their homes safe and energy-efficient, take strides toward becoming self-reliant, and enable their children to escape the generational poverty cycle. These goals are achieved through such programs as Family Services, Crisis Fuel, Housing Stabilization, Food Stamp Outreach, Budget Counseling, Weatherization, Individual Development Accounts, Micro Business Development, Tax Preparation Assistance, Parent Education, and Head Start.