PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — The United Way of Aroostook, Aroostook County Action Program and WAGM-TV are leading a County-wide effort to keep homes warm this winter with a Heating Homes with Helping Hands Telethon, set to air Nov. 2.
For thousands of Aroostook County residents, from young families to elderly shut-ins, the costs of heating homes in the winter is a daunting responsibility, sometimes requiring creative, occasionally dangerous, measures.
“It’s heartbreaking and oftentimes frightening to hear the firsthand accounts and stories that are shared with our staff about what our most vulnerable neighbors do to try and keep themselves warm in their own homes during cold winter months,” explained ACAP executive director and CEO Jason Parent.
“Aside from hearing about people who wear layers upon layers of clothing, keeping the thermostat at a dangerously low temperature to save on fuel, we regularly hear about residents confining themselves to one or two rooms of their homes and using space heaters. For too many who struggle to heat their homes with very limited resources, the result is making decisions to go without food or prescription drugs. That further compounds an already dangerous situation with resulting health complications.
“We are fortunate to have the resources we do to help as many people as we can, but the need clearly outpaces the resources available,” Parent said.
Last year, ACAP served more than 4,300 households in Aroostook County with heating and energy assistance programs and another 175 with emergency fuel assistance. Private grants and donations helped 115 more households that were within a day or two of running out of heating fuel. Of those households, 21 involved seniors and 15 were young families with babies under 2 years old.
“After hearing about the struggles of so many people falling short of qualifying for traditional heating assistance and what our neighbors are doing to stay warm, we knew we had to step up and help bridge this gap,” said WAGM General Manager Kelly Landeen.
On Thursday, Nov. 2, throughout the day in newscasts and in break-in short segments, the local television station will broadcast live from its studio with information about the need for local heating assistance. Callers will speak to volunteers manning multiple phone lines to make donations. United Way will collect the funds to track and distribute the donations.
Leading up to that date, WAGM, UWA and ACAP will work together to share stories from people who have benefited in the past from ACAP’s heating programs, and to raise awareness of the local needs.
“ACAP, WAGM and United Way of Aroostook are three unique organizations that are known for reaching people all across The County,” said Sherry Locke, UWA executive director. “By working together and asking for community support, we are confident that we can help hundreds of households stay warm this winter.”
The three partner agencies have set up a Facebook page on which they will share statistics, stories and challenges to engage the community in the Heating Homes with Helping Hands initiative. One such challenge is already creating a buzz in the community. The Show Us Your Heart social media challenge encourages individuals, groups, organizations and businesses to do some creative thinking to make a short video or take a photo displaying their “heart” and challenging others to do the same. Individuals or organizations can make donations leading up to and throughout the telethon event.
“The people we will help with this program,” said ACAP Case Manager Heidi Rackliffe, “are individuals facing a heating crisis with no means of accessing a source of heat any other way. This is a last resort option in which all other avenues are looked at first. This is the elder woman on Friday afternoon who has no funds to her name and who must choose between medications or heat. This fund is for the new mom and dad who just delivered a baby or the worker who just lost their job and for the first time has no idea what to do, but needs help and is cold.”
In most cases, Rackliffe said, the funds raised from private sources enable the agency to step in without a lengthy application and wait process. Additionally, ACAP will make every effort to follow up with those needing emergency heating assistance, once the crisis has passed and fuel has been delivered, to help the family or individual prevent future crises and match them with other, non-emergency assistance programs.
For more information, contact Monica Jerkins at (207) 764-3721 or visit http://www.wagmtv.com/heatinghomeshelpinghands.
