Thank you for giving the Gift of Warmth

Once again our readers have opened their hearts and checkbooks to help neighbors in need through Seacoast Media Group’s annual Gift of Warmth campaign.

In its 14th year, Gift of Warmth, thanks to the generosity of our readers, raised $51,336, which will be given to the community action programs in Rockingham and Strafford counties to provide fuel assistance to those in need. In total, this year’s donations will bring Gift of Warmth’s fuel assistance contributions to more than $617,000.

We thank all who contributed from the bottom of our hearts for your goodness, kindness and generosity.

Readers who donated clearly are able to walk a mile in the shoes of their neighbors and understand that at some point in our lives all of us are going to be out in the cold, needing help to deal with a hardship. The death of a loved one, illness, job loss, a bad accident, the need to care for children or the simple failure of an old furnace all have the potential to cause us to fall behind paying our bills.

Patte Ardizzoni at Rockingham Community Action captured the spirit behind Gift of Warmth in a recent story.

“Each day we wake up and in good faith go about our business, whether it’s to be the best parent or caregiver that we can, to give our all at our jobs or to contribute to our community in some meaningful way,” Ardizzoni said. “When the day also hands us a surprise medical bill, or if someone falls ill and can’t get to work, the ripple effects can change how we’re able to answer our day-to-day responsibilities. The Gift of Warmth gives the staff at our various resource centers the tools that will allow them to immediately offer help. “

Unlike state or federal funds, Gift of Warmth money is unrestricted, meaning the community action programs can do the most good for the most people without getting tangled up in government bureaucracy.

This year, as in years past, a number of people who have been helped by Gift of Warmth funds shared their stories. We thank them for their willingness to stand in the spotlight to let people know it’s OK to ask for help and that it will be given without judgment.

Emily Wade of Rochester shared her story of caring for her disabled father and raising her niece and nephew. She was getting by until a house fire took everything. They were able to find a new home but it needed a ton of work, including a new oil tank, water heater and insulation.

“I had to face that sometimes people are down on their luck and this past year that was us,” Wade said. “When I went to ask for help it was not for me. I did it for my kids. It was cold. I can put on an extra sweater but they should not have to come home from school and be expected to do their homework while being cold.”

All those helped by Gift of Warmth talked about how hard it is to ask for help.

Tonya Dubois, a single mom with three young children, received fuel assistance and energy efficiency upgrades. “I was afraid to ask for help,” she said. “But they were so good to me. They never made me feel bad about being in a place where I needed help. I am really grateful.”

Those who give to Gift of Warmth know they are blessed to be able to do so and those who receive help are able to share in their blessings. It has been our honor for the past 14 years to facilitate this program. Frankly, when we look back each year and ask what we have accomplished, the Gift of Warmth campaign is always a source of great satisfaction.

How to help

Tax-deductible donations to Gift of Warmth can be made by sending a check for any amount to Seacoast Media Group c/o Gift of Warmth, 111 New Hampshire Ave., Portsmouth, NH 03801. Include which organization the donation is intended for: Rockingham Community Action or Community Action Partnership of Strafford County.

If you need help

To apply for fuel assistance, call RCA at 431-2911. People experiencing any significant hardship or financial crisis can also call and they will be referred to the appropriate person. The main office is at 4 Cutts St. in Portsmouth. For more information, visit www.snhs.org. Appointments required. Call RCA’s Portsmouth office at (603) 436-3896.

For CAPSC, call 435-2500 or visit www.straffordcap.org. The Dover office is at 577 Central Ave., Suite 10; the Farmington office is at 527 Main St.; the Rochester office is at 10 Cold Spring.