ELLSWORTH, Maine — It’s cold and getting colder.
That’s a harsh reality not lost on those who don’t have the cash needed to buy heating oil.
With 80 percent of homes in Down East Maine relying on kerosene or No. 2 fuel oil for heat, and with fuel oil prices nearing $4 a gallon, it’s a perfect storm of need for low-income households facing a tough winter.
“I’ve had a woman in her 80s who is on a fixed income looking for help and a 19-year-old single mom with a baby, wondering how they will stay warm,” said Sister Lucille MacDonald, who oversees the Emmaus Homeless Shelter in Ellsworth. “The need extends across all ages.”
MacDonald said Monday eight area churches are contributing to the shelter’s discretionary fund that covers the costs of everything from electricity, rent and fuel assistance for those who need help.
“It’s early into the winter, and it’s been warm, but we are still seeing demand a little higher than it was a year ago,” MacDonald said. “And, in terms of the shelter, there’s a waiting list.”
Statewide, the amount of federal funding for home heating subsidies is about the same this year as last year, when funds for Maine were cut by $5 million, leaving $38.5 million for allocation to those eligible. What’s not the same, says Maine State Housing Authority spokeswoman Deborah Turcotte, is the price of fuel, which is higher than last year.
“There’s been a slight uptick [in applications for assistance] from last year,” she said Thursday. There were 22,000 applications for assistance at this time last year and 18,000 were approved. Turcotte said applications are up about 1,000 this year with the average benefit at about $556. Benefits range from $1,646 to $144, depending on income, she added.
Kenneth Fletcher, the director of Gov. Paul LePage’s energy office, said Thursday that weatherization and conversion of electrically heated homes to more efficient systems such as heat pumps will help improve efficiency and reduce energy costs.
Fletcher said he can only hope that this winter is as mild as last winter, which helped to buffer the cutback in heating assistance funding.
“Trying to make Maine’s old housing stock energy efficient is a huge challenge,” Fletcher said. “We also need this heating assistance funding released at the beginning of the heating season, not in March.”
Susan Farley, an Ellsworth-based family assistance advocate with the Washington Hancock Community Agency, says she’s overwhelmed by requests for fuel assistance.
“We’ve had 2,400 applicants and have 2,522 more appointments for applications scheduled that now extends into March,” she said. “And, at the same time, our agency has seen cutbacks, which mean that we have fewer people to service more people who need help.”
Farley said her agency has already blown through $31,000 in emergency fund private donations that were contributed since the first of October. With Maine’s population being the oldest in the nation, and Washington County’s population being the oldest among the 16 counties in Maine, Farley said many of those in need of fuel assistance are homebound elderly.
“These are people who never thought they would have to ask for help,” she said. “These are people who, as a matter of pride, don’t want to ask for help, but they just don’t know where else to go.
“I’m working with an 82-year-old couple who have broken windows in their trailer, but are living on a fixed income, so haven’t had them fixed,” Farley said. “When they do get fuel assistance, all that heat will, quite literally, go out the window. These are people with severe medical conditions, and they sit there and shiver. I’m also working with some people from East Machias, who last week had lightning strike their trailer, which melted their electrical box. These are people living on $600 a month, but they scrounged enough to get the box replaced. But, when they threw the switch, there was a power surge that burned out their well pump. So now they have no water.”
Farley said her phone “never stops ringing” as she fields calls from those seeking assistance.
“People are desperate, and, as it gets colder, it will only get worse,” she said.
MacDonald agrees. She said Monday that the Emmaus Shelter has launched an “adopt a family” program designed to link “haves” with “have-nots” who need to endure the winter.
MacDonald can be reached at 667-3962. Farley can be reached at 664-2424.
The eighty years olds should get all the help they need. The nineteen year old with the baby I say, where is the daddy? Figure it out.
They both need it as much as the other.
There are exceptions to every rule but, there would be enough resources for our elderly who are on limited incomes if the younger generation wasn’t looking for a hand out. It has become ridiculous.
No, our citizens would be taken care of if the elected officials would just stop giving our taxpayor money away to other countries. It’s time we take care of our own and stop this insane idea that we are still in the position to help others before we help ourselves. I do agree “where’s the baby daddy” but EVERYONE needs help at one point in their lives. We should be ashamed of the people in government for making this a second rate country who only sees and acts on what the top level income people want……. this child deserves to stay warm and be feed
Children deserve parents who can take care of them. I’m not begrudging anyone a helping hand, but this easily turns into a lifestyle. Have seen it time and time again: fuel assistance, rent assistance, child care vouchers, gas vouchers, in home services…when are people responsible for their own actions and needs? “this child deserves to stay warm and be feed,” well of course! That now becomes the cycle: have a child (whose needs you can’t meet) and we have all kinds of programs to reward you with until that child is eighteen!
I don’t write people off because of their age.
Neither do I.
That’s good to hear. People matter, all people. Our mortal beings are what we have in common
I do.
You think an able-bodied 19-year-old needs or deserves as much help as an 80-year-old pensioner?
I think babies deserve more care than 80-year-olds. Both deserve care, but the baby is where the future lies. It’s not about the 19-year-old.
I agree, if those babies don’t have an able-bodied adult to take care of them. It *is* about the 19-year-old, actually. And if I care more about her baby than she does, there is a bigger issue.
Please don’t get me wrong. The baby is likely more important than the 80-year-old adult. How much the state can/should help that baby AND that elderly person is a conversation.
So I guess what your saying is we need to ration out assistance not so much on the basis of need but on who deserves it most………………. The question still remains as to what we do with those you consider unworthy of assistance, such as the elderly………………… The indians had a solution to this problem; they just left them on the side of the trail to die as their usefullness to the tribe was no longer beneficial to the tribe……………. Survival of the Fitest…………….. Seems to me things are not quite right in our land of ‘milk and honey’………………. What have we become as a society…………
As expected, the “why are you so cold-hearted” crowd is heard from.
Prioritization of limited resources. Your government, D or R, does this every day.
Ok, you’ve heard from me; now tell us what is your solution to this problem??????????? And don’t blame George Bush; as that’s not a solution……………
George Bush? Okay, not going to blame him for this one. Anyway, Need is an important factor in doling out public assistance, but so is Situation. I fully expect an 80-year-old on a fixed income to be ahead of an able-bodied 19-year-old with a child. We give tuition assistance based on need and situation. I’ll bet a lot of PA is, too…or should be.
We elect the people who make those priority decisions. And we vote the way we do based on our preference for how the rack-and-stack is made…and how many resources are available to meet them.
A short-answer suggestion? How about a real energy policy, including having natural gas to the maximum extent practical. I’ve lived all around the country, and this remains as having the highest energy costs I’ve seen.
Boy, your one heartless SOB!!!!!!
BDN
That’s why I said “able-bodied” here. Need and Situation.
Yeah, there seem to be a lot of dummies having kids willfully when they don’t have the resources to take care of them, but some people/parents truly are victims of circumstance(they definitely deserve help). As far as the dummies go, help them too because you don’t want to see the little ones suffer because their parents are irresponsible.
I’m working with an 82-year-old couple who have broken windows in their trailer, but are living on a fixed income, so haven’t had them fixed,”
Last I checked, duct tape a piece of cardboard are relatively inexpensive. An even better fix would be a piece of styrofoam from a shipping container.
Fixes don’t need to be expensive. If you are already living in a trailer than you shouldn’t be too overly picky about how the fix looks.
Glass windows have a relatively low R-value. The same R-value (if not better) can be achieved by scrounging some materials from the dump if you are truly motivated.
“These are people with severe medical conditions, and they sit there and shiver.”They sound like they could use your help and experience. You should drop Ms. Farley a line and let her know you could help out this elderly couple or, if you don’t live close by, perhaps people in a similar situation closer to home.
If you work with theses people, why not look for some styrofoam or whatever and do a repair for them? 80-years-olds probably shouldn’t be going dumpster diving for scrap crap to fix broken windows. It’s sad that this is how some of the elderly live. The elderly, children, veterans and the disabled should come first in this society. They are the most vulnerably.
All my.donations go to 1600 Pennsylvania ave.
People aren’t going to be able to afford to live alone the way things are going. Families are going to have to double up to make ends meet. The numbers just don’t add up when you are on a fixed income and these paper dollars are worth less every year.
Obama fixed all that.
Welcome to the new norm
“I’m working with an 82-year-old couple who have broken windows in their trailer, but are living on a fixed income, so haven’t had them fixed,” Farley said. “When they do get fuel assistance, all that heat will, quite literally, go out the window.
Not to sound unsympathetic, but have they considered putting up some plastic over the windows?
It doesn’t say the broken window isn’t covered – it says the window is broken. People are overlooking the fact that this couple is 82 years old. Although some elderly in their 80’s are probably healthier than me, most are not physically able to climb a ladder, hold a hammer and nails, duct tape, plastic, etc. and do their own repairs. The same thing for doing banking. As people age, their bodies become stiff – they lose muscle mass – many have joint replacements – it’s just not physically possible for many elderly to climb ladders or even bend down to the ground to do their banking. It’s time for more people who are able to help with these things, to help. It used to be called, “Being neighborly”.
A few years ago, I worked for the LIHEAP program. I went to peoples’ homes and did the applications there for the people who had no transportation or were disabled. I know there are many people who abuse the system for all they can get, but there are also the quiet many who try to ask for nothing and are extremely appreciative for any little bit of help anyone is willing to give, whether it be oil assistance, help stacking their wood, or fixing a broken window. Keep in mind, any one of us could end up with finacial and physical struggles before it’s over.
I work full time in a state job, as well as a part time job on the side, my fiancee works full time as well, we have trouble coming up with the $800-1000 to fill our oil tank, as we failed to pass most oil companies financing process. since we just bought a used car, and a house. I had no avaliable credit to get oil for my house. I only burn 500-600 gallons, but it’s hard to come up with that kind of cash. I find myself working ragged 10-25 hours a week of overtime just to get by. It’s hard, but it can be done. as for the elderly, I think they should come first, the pregnant teens, and single mothers need to seek out the fathers of their children for financial assistance (child support), I apologize if this offends you, but reality has set in.
The baby boomers are’nt getting any younger, and most here in this state are not known for their expert financial planning for retirement. I for one am starting my retirement funding ASAP. I want to live comfortably, I may have state retirement, but thats only 60% of my best 3 years… if I retire at 55, since I started at 26 I would actually get 68% (since I put in more than 25 years) sadly that means I would have to survive on less than $1362 per month…. there’s no way on a fixed income like that, that I could survive in the cold up here. ROTH, IRA’s, and Mutual funds are great ways to plan for additional retirement funds. here’s to hoping you all are looking towards your long term future, and your children, you can make your investments tranferable to your children..
good luck everyone, and stay warm.
I am an old woman and I survive on $1025 per month, plus I pay a car payment and a mortgage, along with the insurances, etc. It can be done. I do not go shopping or out to eat very much, but I manage. I read a book about 10 years ago that changed how I managed my money. It is called “Debt Proof Living by Mary Hunt”. I wished that I had read it when I was 20 instead of when I was 60. It really helped me to better manage my money.
I noticed that you capitalize POT every time. You do know that Reefer Madness wasn’t a documentary, right?
It can be done…We are doing it as well but it requires the will to do it , responsibility and not blowing your money on body art , booze , cigs and drugs…
I am very impressed…good for you! It really is a lot easier to live when you know what’s actually important…financially and otherwise.
What a surprise!
Giving away something for free and, bingo, it’s suddenly gone! Gosh why did that happen?
Because if something is free, it has no value.
Take a gander at the Food Bank at the Congo church in Machias on, I think, Mondays. The food is all gone quickly, and because it’s free. I KNOW some of the people going there for the give away.
They are no needy.
And are our ‘children’ hungry, or obese? Which is it? It cannot be both.
We take away ‘unhealthy’ foods at the schools to prevent obesity, then, THEN, we sometimes give them BREAKFAST.
None of this makes any sense.
After this last election I have decided, No more charity from me. In the last ten years I’ve given over $70,000 to various agencies who serve ( and to some people directly who are) ‘the poor’.
A careful examination of the situation made me realize that these same ‘poor’ are the folks who voted in these socialists.
If you want charity, see Uncle Obama.
Not a penny from me, anymore.