Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1995. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
PR Newswire - 22 December 1995
Citizens Energy will spend $300,000 this winter, up from $250,000 last year, to pay the heating bills of 140 homeless shelters in the region. The program, which pays for heat for the homeless in the coldest winter months, December through February, will provide more than 85,000 gallons of heating oil free of charge and will pay nearly $200,000 in natural gas and electric utility heating bills. The increase means that benefit levels can reflect higher energy costs where appropriate and additional shelters can be served. In addition to providing heat to the shelters, Citizens Energy's efforts free up tight shelter funds for other important purposes.
"It's not just that we're able to help warm the lives of some of the most vulnerable members of our community," said Citizens Energy Chairman Michael Kennedy, "It's also what these funds mean in improved quality of life at the shelters year-round. We hear from them. They tell us how our program allowed them to make much-needed repairs, provide pre-natal care for women and dental care for children, purchase HIV treatment-related supplies, or keep a staff person on duty nights or weekends. In the face of cuts from Washington, particularly in McKinney Act funds, these facilities are making difficult choices on how to best use the limited resources available to them. We're glad to be able to ease that burden whatever way we can."
The Citizens Energy Shelter Winter Assistance Program was started in 1987. Since that time, and with the support of more than 25 local fuel oil dealers who deliver oil at cost for the program, Citizens has provided 671,000 gallons of heating oil free of charge and spent more than $1.2 million on oil and utility heating bills. Shelters served by Citizens Energy are located in communities throughout Massachusetts and Rhode Island, including: Boston, Cambridge, Somerville, Chelsea, Malden, Quincy, Hingham, Brockton, Hyannis, Lynn, Lowell, Marlboro, Salem, Peabody, Fall River, Worcester, Athol, Springfield, Greenfield, Pittsfield, North Adams, Fitchburg, Pawtucket and Providence. (Please call for details on specific shelters served in your area.)
Citizens Energy is a non-profit company started in 1979 to make energy more affordable and available to low-income and elderly families. In addition to the shelter assistance program, Citizens Energy operates a natural gas assistance program in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Kentucky, where it has business with local distribution companies, and annually provides information and referral services for several hundred needy Massachusetts families in energy emergencies.
CONTACT: Jean Fleischman of Citizens Energy Corporation, 617-338-6300
Copyright (c) 1995/PR NewsWire. Reproduced with permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the Permissions Desk, PR Newswire, 810 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10019.
951222
PR951233
Copyright © 1995 - PRNewswire. All rights reserved. Reproduced with permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through PRNewswire, Permissions, 810 Seventh Ave., 32nd Floor, New York, NY 10019 http://www.prnewswire.com.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Elton John AIDS Foundation, National Library of Medicine, and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 1995. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 1995. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .