Area fuel funds see increases in need for heating assistance

For the first time in her life, a 91‑year‑old woman who has always lived in Washington County called Washington Hancock Community Agency (WHCA) for fuel assistance. WHCA Communications Director Susan Farley says, "She had never asked for a thing in her life, but she had no choice. She ran out of fuel. She was embarrassed to ask." Farley adds, "With a great deal of prompting from people who care, she called us." WHCA is seeing many more of these types of calls, as are the other programs for fuel assistance available to the county's approximately 14,000 households.
The federally‑funded Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is the primary source of help for residents who meet low‑income qualifications. Federal funding for LIHEAP in Maine has dropped from $54 million last year to $38.5 million this year. Changes in federal eligibility guidelines this year made over 4,000 families and seniors ineligible for LIHEAP. As a result, the denial rate has more than doubled to 18%. Yet while the LIHEAP denial rate has increased, heating oil prices also have jumped -- up 16% this year -- and applications for LIHEAP are up 4%.
LIHEAP funds are administered by Maine State Housing Authority and are applied for through WHCA. For this heating season, WHCA has served 3,392 households in both Washington and Hancock counties through LIHEAP, with a total of $1,152,584 having been spent on an average benefit of $340, down from about $802 last year. An additional 1,200 households are waiting to be processed, says Lee Hardison, WHCA Ellsworth office manager for housing and energy. She explains that individual county numbers have not been broken out yet. LIHEAP is not meant to pay for an entire year of home heating and energy costs. The program calculates a household benefit derived from income, housing type and age, the type of fuel used and the previous year's fuel consumption figures.

Resources for people beyond LIHEAP
For those who do not qualify for LIHEAP, community fuel funds such as the Washington Hancock Community Agency's Heating and Warmth Program (THAW), the Machias Food Pantry's emergency fuel and utility assistance, the Greater Eastport Ecumenical Churches Association's (GEECA) Community Fuel Assistance Fund and general assistance programs run by municipalities can make all the difference in an emergency.
The Washington County Food & Fuel Alliance has just received funds from two different sources at the Maine Community Foundation that will most likely be used to purchase heaters, which will then be distributed through area food pantries. The alliance's director, Carrie Perkins, notes that she is working with her board to find the best type of heater that will not result in exorbitant electric bills for recipients. She is also researching dealers who can supply the most heaters at the lowest cost to the alliance.
Over the years the Bar Harbor‑based Maine Seacoast Mission has been a close working partner with WHCA, but the mission has started to limit its reach in Washington County. Director of Service Programs Wendy Harrington explains, "We've shrunk our service area," which now reaches only to East Machias. Its emergency fund supplies 50 gallons of fuel. "Last year we had two times as many people calling as we helped. We helped 475 people in both counties in 2011." She notes that while the mission's funds weren't cut, they did not increase. Even so, the mission has helped 131 households in its revised western Washington County service area for this heating season, which Harrington notes started October 1, 2011.
When cuts begin to happen at larger organizations, the small local fuel funds work all the harder to meet community needs. GEECA and the Machias Food Pantry fuel assistance program are two out of a handful of local resources doing their best to help emergency fuel situations. "We are for emergencies, not to supplement," says GEECA's Colin Windhorst. "Because the [LIHEAP] amount has been so small this year it's put more pressure on." In the past, Windhorst says, demand for emergency help started in late February, but "this year demand has been right from the start." So far the program has spent about $6,000. "We've been writing out a lot of vouchers, typically for $250." GEECA's service area runs from Lubec to Robbinston and includes Trescott, Whiting, Pembroke, Perry, Eastport and at times Cutler. But Windhorst notes that with the shrinking of the mission's reach, he's concerned about the Calais service area. "We get calls from Calais, Charlotte, Baileyville."
Most municipalities have general assistance funds for emergency fuel help or know of any unadvertised sources of help. The Town of Lubec administers a senior fuel fund, and a component of the town's general assistance fund includes emergency fuel assistance. Lubec Town Administrator John Sutherland notes that for December and January the town has had 10 applicants. A group of Lubec residents recently held a polar dip to raise funds for a community cause. Sutherland was happy to report that the group decided to make their donation to the fuel fund for seniors.
Calais residents have a few sources for fuel funds, but Calais City Clerk Theresa Porter suggests that calling her at city hall for referral would be the best bet. The city has its general assistance fund but will also know if there are other resources available at the local level. Porter adds that the "area churches have one fund that they pool together." People who wish to help their Calais neighbors may donate to their own church, knowing that their donation will be used at the community level as a part of the pooled fund. Baileyville Town Manager Linda Pagels‑Wentworth also suggests getting in touch with area churches if a resident in need lives in an outlying area with no clearly defined fuel fund service area such as GEECA's.
Helen Vose is a longtime volunteer with the Machias Food Pantry, and she too receives calls from people out of her service area. "I just try to refer them to their area." With the exception of seven emergency situations that arose before the end of 2011, she began the 2012 fuel assistance program the week of January 16. So far, nine households were served in the first three days of the season. Vouchers for 50 gallons of fuel or $50 to pay down electric bills are given out. "They've been using electric heaters, so their electric bills are high. ... The calls that we've had have been real sad." Vose is quick to point out that donors have been "very good. We've been very fortunate."
The WHCA THAW program has also been helping to fill in the gaps and to date has helped 384 households. Just in the first three weeks of January the program has assisted 230 with fuel vouchers averaging $100 each. "That's a chunk of households needing help," says Hardison of January's three‑week roster. Like Vose, Hardison has nothing but praise for the donors who have helped with THAW funding. "Incoming donations have done phenomenally well." The need is so great that "the money just goes right back out," she adds.
Joe Perkins, WHCA director of community and family services, notes that the THAW program is "a surefire way for people in Washington and Hancock counties to know that their donation will help people here. In fact, people can designate a specific town, region or county if they desire."