Keeping warm — that’s the challenge of Maine winters. For some of our neighbors, the choices are acute: eat or heat. Fill a prescription or fill the oil tank. Even lowering the thermostat to near 60 and putting on extra layers isn’t enough for some to get by, especially when the weather is cold and clammy. Project GRACE makes it a little easier for our neighbors having trouble making ends meet.
Together with the Town of Scarborough and several community groups, Project GRACE will host their 12th annual “Rally to Keep Our Neighbors Warm” fundraiser. The Rally will be in a new location this year, at the Scarborough Public Library on Saturday, Feb. 10 from 10 a.m. to noon.
“The Friends of the Scarborough Library are looking forward to another fun Fuel Rally and supporting Project GRACE any way we can!” said Kate Kearns, president of the Friends of the Scarborough Library. “Community organizations are stronger when they team up, so we we’re especially excited the rally is at the library this year.”
The Rally is a family event, and new this year, the library’s children’s department is offering several “make and take” crafts as well as a Valentine’s themed Lego challenge, and fun scavenger hunt. Maine Audubon’s Scarborough Marsh Audubon Center, Community Services, and the Scarborough Historical Society are all participating this year, alongside Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions, Volunteers in Police Service, and the Scarborough Fire and Police Departments. Proceeds from raffles, a bake sale, and bottle sale will also help raise funds for fuel assistance.
The Rally is all about being there for one another, and doing good together to warm up the winter for ourselves and for our neighbors. Two philanthropists, Art Ledue and Eddie Woodin have teamed up together to challenge Project GRACE to raise $25,000 for fuel assistance. It’s a big goal, but with support from the community, we can do it! Donations of all sizes add up quickly to have a real impact for our neighbors.
Since 2012 the Rally has raised more than $200,000, enough to cover about 60% of Project GRACE’s fuel assistance costs. Project GRACE typically responds to about 70 calls for fuel assistance, but volunteers answer more calls as temperatures fall or prices spike. This winter’s heating costs are running a bit lower than last year’s, but are still high. Low-income residents spend proportionally more of their budgets (on average 20% or more) on heating their homes than higher income residents. At today’s prices, donations of $2,500 translate to six or seven ‘helps’ of 100 gallons of oil, k1, propane, or firewood. With $10,000, Project GRACE could send out about 3,000 gallons of fuel to keep furnaces going. When there is extra in the fuel fund, a few Scarborough residents can also get help with small home repairs to stop costly drafts, a furnace cleaning, or tune up to improve efficiency and lower energy consumption.
Early leadership pledges from Katahdin Trust, Modern Woodmen Fraternal Financial, First Congregational Church of Scarborough, and dozens of family donors are giving Project GRACE a good head start towards meeting Art and Eddie’s challenge for the Fuel Fund. “We are closing in on halfway to our ambitious goal, thanks to the support from the community,” says Project GRACE president, Bert Follansbee. Talking about why they give, Scott and Kelli McDonald say, “It’s our goal to provide financial security to the communities we live in. Giving back is the culture that Modern Woodmen is founded on. Helping others is the best part of our job!” Art Ledue of AB Ledue Enterprises agrees, ”Community is so important, and we need to be there for each other.”
The Rally event is only possible because of the enthusiastic support from the Town of Scarborough, Scarborough Police and Fire Departments, Community Services, Public Works, and many others. This year’s event is curbside and includes a Friends of the Scarborough Library “grab bag” book sale, energy efficiency tips, a bottle and can drive, and the Kiwanis club is asking for donations of new warm socks. Scarborough Volunteers in Police Service and Scarborough Public Safety will be handling the pre-ordered chili and chowder pickup, prepared by the talented chefs at Bread & Butter Catering Company.
Local jazz band Hadacol Bouncers will bring extra warmth to the event with the fresh sounds of Fats Waller, James P. Johnson, Louis Armstrong and more. Their music is a fun hybrid of New Orleans Jazz, Chicago Style Jazz, novelty songs and other classics from the great American songbook. Hadacol has a traditional line up of banjo, tenor guitar, piano, tuba, drums, trombone, soprano sax/clarinet and trumpet/cornet.
We’re anticipating a great turnout at the library on Saturday, Feb. 10, but if you can’t make it, donations can be made to the fuel fund online at fuelrally.org (find the red “Give” button) or by mailing a check to Project GRACE, PO Box 6846, Scarborough, ME 04070-6846.
For all those who have already given, Project GRACE extends its warmest and most heartfelt thanks. Whether you can share a little or a lot, each gift helps us keep our promise that we won’t leave our Scarborough neighbors in the cold.
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