Winter’s frigid temperatures are even tougher to face for those who can’t afford to fully heat their homes, which is why Project GRACE in Scarborough is holding a fuel rally on Saturday, Feb. 14, at the Oak Hill Fire Station.

The goal is to raise at least $15,000 for local families that need help paying their heating costs. Last winter the local nonprofit gave out $33,000 in fuel assistance, which paid for 100-gallon deliveries to about 75 families, according to Steffi Cox, executive director.

In addition, she said that Project GRACE, which stands for granting resources and assistance through community effort, also helped about 85 other families to access the Joe4Oil program, which amounted to another $32,000 in fuel assistance to the community.

In terms of the requests for fuel help so far this winter, Cox said the “requests ebb and flow with the temperatures. Furnaces work harder and use more fuel when the temperatures get near zero. And those on a fixed income or working at low paying jobs simply don’t have the means to adjust.”

While 100 gallons of fuel is a boon to those in need, she admitted that it “doesn’t last long when it’s very, very cold.” Cox added, “We know of several households trying to get by with incomes below $15,000 annually and it’s impossible to pay for medicines, food, and heat and all the rest, especially when the temperatures fall to near zero (or below).”

Cox said one reason the fuel rally is so important is that, “there are little or no safety nets for working families, and some are just getting by on low wages, living paycheck to paycheck. We can all understand that there are circumstances which can throw an otherwise stable and hardworking family into temporary financial crisis – from layoffs or seasonal reductions in work hours, to death, divorce, and injury or serious illness of a family member.”

While it’s one of Project GRACE’s missions to provide home heating assistance, Cox said, “most people are uncomfortable asking for help. We hear the catch in their voice (or) see on the caller ID that they’ve tried a couple times in a row to get up the nerve to leave a message.”

She said that when these people reach out for help, they’ve exhausted all their other resources.

“By the time they call us, that red line on the gauge is pretty near empty, less than a quarter tank – and with many more weeks of a harsh Maine winter ahead, that’s a very scary thing to face alone,” Cox said.

She added, “Thankfully, in our town, we don’t leave our neighbors out in the cold. When it really counts, we show up, we rally together.”

Cox said that’s the best thing about the annual fuel rally, “the community really coming together to make a difference. Everybody does their part. It’s a diverse group that has one thing in common – we love the community.”

“If everyone in town gave $5 or $10 or $20 – we could easily meet

(our) goal,” Cox said.

In addition to various activities, the fuel rally will also feature a bake sale and raffles of various handmade items from a delicately knitted chain work blanket, to a stoneware pottery bowl and an original watercolor painting.

Contributing to the bake sale are the “talented bakers” from the Pine Point Ladies Auxiliary, along with the youth ministry at St. Max, residents of Scarborough Terrace and several other home bakers.

In addition, local Boy Scout Ethan Boardman and his grandfather Dick Boardman have convinced local business leaders and residents to save their returnable cans and bottles to donate to the fuel rally. Ethan, along with the Scouts from Troop 47, are hoping to collect enough returnables to fill 100 Hannaford CLYNK bags, Cox said.

The fuel fund at Project GRACE started eight years ago when Eddie Woodin, the owner of Woodin & Company Store Fixtures, donated $2,500 in matching funds to help those in town who needed assistance in paying their heating bills.

Woodin said he was inspired by the realization that “behind those doors which I pass every day, there are great needs which are not apparent. In the Bible the Book of James says, ‘you can have all the faith in the world, but if you don’t turn it into action and help people, then it is useless. I (first) read this in 1988 and it changed my life.”

Every year since the first year, Woodin has donated matching funds to the fuel fund in order to “carry on the mission of helping those who are struggling to keep warm.”

He added, “When I approached Project GRACE eight years ago, I told them God had sent me, that we all think too small (and instead) we need to think big. I wrote a check with a goal of raising $10,000 and we raised more than $20,000. So, even I thought too small.”

While there are many people helped by the home heating fund, Woodin said one couple sticks in his mind. They are both in their late 50s. The husband is blind and the wife fell and broke her leg last winter.

“They simply had no money for heating oil. They contacted Project GRACE and received a fill-up and also received a coupon for an additional fill-up from Joe4Oil. Their sense of relief and gratitude was heart warming. They got warm and worry-free.”

Woodin said he gets great satisfaction from helping others and said, “I would encourage those who want to make a difference to jump on board. Your efforts are greatly appreciated and will make a huge difference in the success of the fuel fund. (And it’s a) festive (event) that helps create the community fabric of Scarborough. We’re all in this together.”

Project GRACE’s annual fuel rally at the Oak Hill Fire Station brings out many donors, as well as community pride.Courtesy photo