York Community Service Association Director Lorna Ryan, seen here at her desk at the YCSA office, hopes local residents will donate whatever they can to help fund Warm Hearts, Warm Homes, an initiative to provide heating fuel to local residents in need. For more information, contact YCSA at 363-5504.
Photo by Jennifer L. Saunders
YORK - From town officials to service organizations, from state legislators to members of Congress, one word continues to come up in reference to the cost of keeping warm in the coming winter season.
That word is "crisis."
For York Community Service Association Director Lorna Ryan, that fact is abundantly clear, as she has seen firsthand that "all it takes is an illness, injury or divorce to financially devastate a family."
The association, which is now in its 50th year, exists to help residents in need, she explained, and often that means people who would otherwise fall through the cracks waiting for approval from assistance programs or who do not earn enough to cover the cost of rising fuel or food prices but earn too much to qualify for state or local aid. And with the economy in turmoil, Ryan said there is great concern for the winter ahead. Already, YCSA has seen its number of clients triple from about 30 households one year ago to 90 as of July.
With the per-gallon price of home heating oil as much as double what it was last year, Town Manager Rob Yandow recently approached the selectmen for support to use contingency money remaining from the prior fiscal year to establish a fund to help residents in need. On July 21, the selectmen voted unanimously to allocate $15,000 from that fund for emergency fuel assistance.
"I hope to have the details of the program worked out soon. Based on conversations that I have had with a variety of people I am concerned that this situation could reach the crisis stage," Yandow said.
Like Ryan, he pointed out that local residents who may not meet the income guidelines to qualify for the town's general assistance program could be placed at risk.
"Everyone is going to have difficulty paying for heating oil next winter but some will just not be able to afford it," Yandow said. "We simply have to have some mechanism to help these people."
The remaining $16,000 from last year's contingency will cover the higher-than-expected costs to Parks Department and Police Department vehicles in fiscal 2007.
Others in town, including Eric Hopkins of the York Energy Efficiency Committee, have also spoken before the selectmen on the issue. Hopkins told the board, "One of the big crises this town is going to face is how we're going to heat our homes this winter."
The issue also continues to attract attention at the state and federal level.
Rep. Dawn Hill, D-York, recently announced that applications for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) will be accepted early this year, and recommended that residents make appointments now to apply for heating assistance by calling (800) 965-5762.
LIHEAP is designed to help those earning less than 150 percent of the federal poverty level, which is currently $15,600 for an individual and $31,800 for a family of four. Households with senior citizens or children ages 2 and under receive first priority and the average benefit is expected to be around $417 per household, which at current rates would purchase about one-third of a tank of oil.
"Given heating oil prices, many more residents will be applying to the program this year," Hill said. "I encourage anyone who believes they may qualify for this program to schedule an appointment and complete an application as soon as possible to avoid processing delays."
Meanwhile, local resident and former legislator Mary Andrews, who is a candidate for Maine Senate District 1 in November, is in the process of organizing a forum on fuel and energy costs for Aug. 18 at the First Parish Church Hall.
On the national level, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, recently stated after a forum on alternative energy that "as I travel throughout Maine, I hear time and again of the hardship the skyrocketing cost of gasoline and home heating oil is causing families."
According to local officials, York is no exception.
"We're very concerned," said Board of Selectmen Chairman Mike Estes, who praised YCSA's efforts.
With the proceeds from its Thrift Store on Route 1, as well as fundraising efforts and donations, Ryan said YCSA will continue to assist local residents in need of help paying for their heating fuel, food, medication, electric bills, automobile repairs and more.
However, funding constraints and fuel prices will allow the organization to provide about 100 gallons of heating oil or comparable fuel to each resident in need, which, she said, "is not going to get them through the season."
YCSA's Warm Hearts, Warm Homes fundraising campaign is an effort to better provide for local residents struggling to heat their homes.
"If everyone gives a little, YCSA can help a lot," Ryan said. "We need to take care of our neighbors."
Tax-deductible donations may be sent to York Community Service Association, P.O. Box 85, Cape Neddick, ME 03902.
Those in need of assistance, or who are interested in helping YCSA help others, may call 363-5504. To contact the Thrift Shop, call 363-2510.
