From left bottom row, holding check, John Drew, president/CEO, ABCD, help AARP Massachusetts State President Linda Fitzgerald and AARP Massachusetts State Director Mike Festa hold a check for $10,000 presented to MASSCAP for emergency heating fuel assistance. Also pictured, from left top row is Leverett Wing, associate director, Division of Community Services, Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), Paul Bailey, president, MASSCAP, Joe Diamond, executive director, MASSCAP, and John Hishta, senior vice president, AARP Campaigns. (Photo submitted)
WESTFIELD – As Massachusetts prepares for its eighth major snowstorm of 2014, AARP Massachusetts has presented a check for $10,000 to the Massachusetts Association for Community Action (MASSCAP), for distribution across the state as emergency heating fuel assistance for low-income 50+ residents.
The donation is from the AARP Foundation Winter Relief Fund, which was established on January 15, 2014, to offset heating costs for older adults suffering from the severe cold weather that has gripped much of the nation.
“This has been a particularly difficult winter for Westfield’s older adults,” said Director the Westfield Council On Aging Tina Gorman. “We are getting calls on a regular basis from seniors who must choose between heat and food. Many are keeping their homes at 60 degrees in order to stretch their fuel supply. I appreciate the fact that AARP recognizes the severity of the situation.”
The Foundation is offering a dollar-for-dollar match for contributions to the Winter Relief Fund up to $250,000, which could mean up to $500,000 in aid to impacted regions of the country. With focus on the states across the Northeast and Midwest, AARP Foundation is working with the local AARP state offices to direct funds to organizations providing heating fuel relief to those most in need.
“Many seniors who struggle with a limited income may face difficult choices in the weeks to come,” said Lisa Marsh Ryerson, AARP Foundation president. “AARP Foundation’s efforts around winter relief offer AARP members and others who are concerned, a way to contribute.”
“It’s a tremendous struggle these days for many of our senior neighbors to afford heat and basic necessities, especially this winter with the cold snaps and storms,” said Mike Festa, state director, AARP Massachusetts, “and our Foundation’s decision to create a fund and match donations, will really help those in need.”
AARP Massachusetts has chosen MASSCAP as the recipient of a $10,000 donation from the Foundation’s Winter Relief Fund.
MASSCAP is a statewide association of the 24 community action agencies operating in Massachusetts that work with the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). The emergency heating fuel assistance funds will be disbursed by the agencies through the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). LIHEAP, a federal block grant administered by states, is a program of the Office of Community Services, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
“We thank AARP Massachusetts for their generous fuel assistance donation,” said Joe Diamond, executive director of Massachusetts Association for Community Action (MASSCAP). “While the fuel assistance crisis is a national problem that requires a combined national and state solution, we appreciate any aid we receive from concerned allied organizations. We hope that the state will follow AARP’s lead in approving an additional $20 million in aid.”
To donate: Donations to the Winter Relief Fund are still being accepted. To donate to the relief efforts, please visit www.aarp.org/disasterrelief.
To apply: To apply for emergency heating fuel assistance in Massachusetts, applicants must apply in person through LIHEAP agency offices. To find agency offices by Massachusetts city or town, visit LIHEAP Fuel Assistance Agencies by Town.
