How we help when it gets cold
We noted the transition from summer to fall partly because of the drop in temperature! Cold temperatures can cause big problems for our neighbors, especially those living on a low income. Extreme cold can be deadly for people .
For perspective, we looked at heating costs 1 year ago and compared it to today’s cost. In 2021, 100 gallons of delivered kerosene cost $345.19. Today the same amount is $560. Last year, a delivery of 100 gallons of heating oil was $340.15 – that same delivery costs $510.28 today. You don’t have to be a financial expert to see that jump in costs and how it affects people with low incomes.
We've also seen a sharp increase in requests for help. Eblen Charities Director of Operations, and veteran staff member Susan Riddle said, “I looked at the number of requests we had this period last year and compared with this year’s requests – and it was alarming. In 2021, we had 34 people apply for assistance between July 1 and September 20th, and helped them with an average of $246.08 of financial assistance per request. For the same period this year, we’ve already had 139 households apply with an average of $442.60 of financial help per application. To date, we haven’t received more public funds to help address this sharp increase in the costs of fuel and the number of people who need help staying warm. It's concerning to think about the number of elders and parents with small children who need help – and it hasn’t even gotten very cold yet”.
We serve our neighbors through our CIP (Crisis Intervention Program, a federally funded program through our partnership with Buncombe County Health and Human Services), but to date there has been no increase in funding. You can help by donating here.
We are also preparing to giveaway winter clothing like coats, scarves, hats, gloves, and boots to our neighbors. People can come October 18, 19 and 20th starting at 9:30 AM to pick out winter clothing. No pre-registration is required.
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