Heating Assistance Program Overwhelmed By Demand
BOSTON (CBS) - At Action for Boston Community Development or ABCD the phone lines are being flooded with calls for fuel assistance.
Kenya Madry is all bundled up. Today she's applying for fuel assistance for her family of six. She recently got laid off from her job. "The main concern is just getting heat and making sure we are consistent throughout the winter," Madry said.
ABCD Executive Vice President Sharon Scott-Chandler says their demand for help grows by the hour. "We are in a crisis right now both in terms of extreme cold and fuel assistance. For those families and individuals who have received assistance they are already exhausting their benefits," Scott-Chandler said.
MacFarlane Energy has been on the go since the cold snap hit. Owner Scott MacFarlane is on his second refill today and he still has more than 40 deliveries. "I have 12 oil trucks and 79 vehicles and we are out straight. We do get a lot of people who refuse to turn their heat down because they're concerned about frozen pipes so they are asking for more oil," MacFarlane said. Scott has to literally run to keep up with his customer's demand for more oil.
Back at ABCD the staff is asking for federal, state and private support for their Winter Emergency Fund. They served 26,000 customers last year like Kenya who is thankful she just got approved for fuel assistance. "Very thankful. Without them I wouldn't have heat on a consistent basis. They always keep the heat going," Madry said.