PORTSMOUTH — Will this be the year Seacoast Media Group’s generous and warm-hearted readers push the Gift of Warmth fuel assistance fund drive over the $1 million mark?
Over the past 18 years, Seacoast readers have donated more than $950,000 to the annual Gift of Warmth campaign, in effort to ensure our neighbors in need are not left out in the cold during the frigid winter months.
Run in partnership with Rockingham Community Action and Community Action Partnership of Strafford County, Seacoast Media Group publications, which include Seacoastonline.com and the Portsmouth Herald, Seacoast Sunday, Fosters.com and Foster’s Daily Democrat, The York Weekly, York County Coast Star, Exeter News-Letter and Hampton Union are pleased to announce the launch of the 19th annual Gift of Warmth fuel assistance fund drive.
All money raised during the Gift of Warmth campaign goes directly to the Rockingham and Strafford County community action programs to help our neighbors in need with heating fuel and to respond to other winter emergencies. Unlike federal fuel assistance, these funds come with no strings attached. Community action can apply the money quickly and where it is most needed without having to clear bureaucratic hurdles or untangle red tape.
The need for fuel assistance continues to grow
John Moynihan, chief advancement officer for Community Action Partnership of Strafford County said the volume of applications the agency is seeing this fuel season is unprecedented.
“Last year, we received and processed over 4,000 applications, delivering nearly $5 million in assistance to Strafford County residents,” said Moynihan. “As colder weather approaches, we are already witnessing a significant increase in appointments and applications. This indicates that the need for support will surpass last year’s numbers. Rising energy costs, stagnant wages, and ongoing economic uncertainty continue to worsen an already under-recognized crisis for a community struggling to get by.”
Moynihan said every month, their clients face impossible choices: Do we buy groceries? Do we pay rent? Do we keep the lights and heat on?
“The funding provided through the Gift of Warmth program offers vital comfort at a time when meeting basic needs feels like an uphill battle,” he said. “Each year, we encounter clients who are only a few dollars over the income threshold — just barely making ends meet — and are disqualified from traditional assistance programs. Thanks to the Gift of Warmth, we can still step in to provide relief, ensuring a warm and safe winter for these families.”
Behind this critical work is a small but dedicated team, spending countless hours collaborating with clients, utility providers, and government officials to address the growing needs of the community, Moynihan said. “Their tireless efforts are a testament to our commitment to ensuring that no one is left in the cold.”
Beth Gilbert, fuel assistance program manager for Rockingham Community Action and Southern New Hampshire Services said they help thousands of households with the Federal LIHEAP (Fuel Assistance) Program.
Help is still needed, she said.
“The Fuel Assistance Program at the Community Action Partnership of Hillsborough and Rockingham counties (CAPHR) is seeing an increase in fuel assistance applications this year,” said Gilbert. “CAPHR has over 2,100 more households enrolled in the program than we did at this time last year. We have had unusually warm weather to start this year and with the cold weather approaching, the demand for assistance will certainly increase.”
Gilbert said the fuel assistance benefits have gone down slightly this year from last year, however the numbers show that the need for assistance has increased.
“This is where Gift of Warmth plays a crucial role to help support those families facing an energy crisis,” she said. “In some cases, a Fuel Assistance benefit may only pay a portion of a delivery, or a household may exhaust their fuel benefit in the height of winter. Funding from Gift of Warmth serves as that resource to help extend that heating assistance to allow those families to remain safe and warm through those difficult times.”
For Seacoast Media Group’s journalists, helping Seacoast residents through the Gift of Warmth is a hightpoint of the year.
“Since launching Gift of Warmth in 2005, we have been inspired year after year by the generosity and kindness of our readers,” said Howard Altschiller, Seacoast Media Group’s executive editor. “Each year we see many familiar names among the list of donors, people who have given for years, and we are pleased to add new names to this honor roll of caring. This is truly one of the best things we do each year and we are thrilled to launch the 2024-2025 Gift of Warmth campaign today.”
How to donate to Gift of Warmth
This year, we ask that checks to Gift of Warmth be made out directly to either Rockingham Community Action or the Community Action Partnership of Strafford County. Please write “Gift of Warmth” in the check memo line to ensure the money goes for fuel assistance.
Checks can be mailed to Gift of Warmth, Seacoast Media Group, 210 Commerce Way, Suite 330, Portsmouth, NH 03801. We will tally the checks, record the names of each week’s contributors and then forward the checks on to the two county community action programs. Each week throughout the campaign, Seacoast Media Group will publish that week’s donors.
If you need help
To apply for fuel assistance, call Rockingham Community Action at (603) 431-2911. People experiencing any significant hardship or financial crisis can also call and they will be referred to the appropriate person. For more information, visit snhs.org.
For Community Action Partnership of Strafford County, call (603) 435-2500 or visit straffordcap.org.
