Stephen King Offers To Help Struggling Maine Residents Stay Warm This Winter

BANGOR, Maine -- Horror author Stephen King is stepping up to help struggling Maine residents buy heating oil.

The state is facing deep cuts to a federal heating oil assistance program.

The Maine native announced Tuesday that his foundation will work with the three radio stations he owns in the Bangor area to raise $140,000 to buy heating oil for low-income residents.

He's asking listeners to donate $70,000, and the foundation will double it.

The federal government told the Maine State Housing Authority that it should expect to receive $23 million in heating oil assistance this winter, down from $55.6 million last winter.

Comments

[Mother of Chloe]

05:26 PM on 11/13/2011

Thanks Mr. King for being such a sweetheart of an example for others to follow! Thanks for the great writing, also! Never enjoyed being scared so much--of course you are a genius and hold the secret formula for combing humor, intelligence, mystery, and thrill, etc! in your numerous novels and other works of arts and entertainment! :)

[Fran Jaime]

01:41 AM on 11/15/2011

I knew I fanned you for a good reason! LOL! Glad to see your a Stephen King fan too!

[Mother of Chloe]

03:29 AM on 11/15/2011

Thank You! The King rocks, so he does! :)

[wizeanne]

12:48 PM on 11/12/2011

Kudos to King! He is a great humanitarian and respected author! Can't wait to till movie "The Stand." is released. One of Mr. Kings' greatest books.

[themightyabealrd]

09:45 PM on 11/10/2011

Such gestures are very welcome in a society where 'us vs. them' has become a popular mindset. Thanks, Stephen!

[rabiddog6708]

08:11 PM on 11/10/2011

Way to go Mr. King. We need more like you in this country.

[walkerhds]

11:41 PM on 11/17/2011

Proof that not all 1%ers have a "I got mine, and I want yours too" mindset A very good deed for Mr. King

[KDMac]

01:06 PM on 11/10/2011

Way to go!

[ChelleAgain]

01:00 PM on 11/10/2011

People are always complaining when they find out how much someone gave to one charity or another -- "Aw, he/she could do more!" It's one charitable thing, not the only one. :)

[sprootles]

01:05 PM on 11/10/2011

Exactly.

[sprootles]

12:56 PM on 11/10/2011

Not only is he a talented and creative author, he's a real philanthropist. He built a little league stadium complex in the town in which he needs, simply because they said they needed one. He's done other things, too. This is a wonderful way to give back to people who have given to him.

Stephen I'm a fan, and I'm proud of you.

[NoraHuffposter]

12:31 PM on 11/10/2011

Mr. King is doing an honourable thing. However, I would imagine that his estimated annual $40 million income would allow him to donate the entire $140,000 needed instead of collecting half of it from others. And it would no doubt count towards his taxes. Not that it makes it any less charitable or kind.

[sprootles]

12:57 PM on 11/10/2011

Oh for heaven's sake...

[Candide33]

04:45 AM on 11/11/2011

I think the idea is to use this as a way to bring it to the attention of others. He could have just given it anonymously, but this way it is on the radio and people will be reminded of the government cuts to the most vulnerable among us.

He gives lots that we know of and probably lots more that we don't.

[anonymous67]

11:04 AM on 11/10/2011

Life is good at the top. The top 1% have collected 80% of ALL income growth over the last 30 years -- and now accrued 40% of the nation's wealth. CEO compensation up 27% for 2010; the largest increase in history. Bank CEO pay up 36% to an average of $9.7 million per year. Trillions doled out to Wall Street and large corporations making record profits and paying bonuses. And the richest 400 Americans now have more wealth than half of all Americans -- while their taxes have been halved.

Meanwhile forty-six million Americans do NOT have enough to eat. One of four children living with hunger. Over a quarter of all Americans either unemployed or underemployed. Sixty percent of Americans living paycheck to paycheck. One out of four males over the age of fifty unemployed. Record numbers of veterans homeless and unemployed. One-third of home sales are foreclosure. Millions thrown into the streets by the nation's banks. Millions of youth suffering predatory student loans. Sixty percent of college graduates unable to work in their field. And the only credit choice is usury or none.

Income inequality is worse than Pakistan, Kazakhstan and Ethiopiain and ranks between Uganda and the Ivory Coast. While four hundred Americans have more wealth than half of all Americans combined, the percentage of hungry is three times larger than in China.

And Congress cut heating oil assistance??? What part of "national emergency" is not understood?

[TW77429]

11:18 AM on 11/10/2011

Sing the song 67 - when I was a kid - the dairy companies paid a guy in a truck to drive around and deliver fresh milk - and they paid that guy (my uncle) enough money to raise a family and have a middle class life - CEOs earned about 20 times what their workers made - not over 550 times more, like now - Eisenhower was President and the top tax rate was at 90%. I want that America back.

[johnb123]

09:42 PM on 11/10/2011

The Gates Foundation: http://www.latimes.com/news/la-na-gatesx07jan07,0,2533850.story

[aprilglaspie]

10:55 AM on 11/12/2011

And those CEOs do such a great job for all that money, don't they. All their hard work driving the economy into the dumpster.

[walkerhds]

11:43 PM on 11/17/2011

Just think of the quality of destruction we get for that kind of money. If they only made 100 times that of the line dogs, we'd ...

sorry couldn't finish with a straight face.

[aceshigh11]

10:44 AM on 11/10/2011

Stephen King is awesome.

[ReflectionsOfMyLife]

10:28 AM on 11/10/2011

Dear Stephen,
Thank you for sharing your good fortune with others that have come upon hard times.
Thanks also, for the many sleepness nights you have given me.

[johnb123]

10:11 AM on 11/10/2011

Thank you Mr. King, I'm sure GOD will bless you for this. "He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done." Proverbs 19:17

[OlderWoman]

10:05 AM on 11/10/2011

King is a good guy (and one of my favorite authors). He had a difficult upbringing and I remember reading that he and his wife struggled quite a bit before making it big. Good for King to 'give back'.

[Bandit29]

10:03 AM on 11/10/2011

I applaud Mr. King for helping out but surely he could afford to donate the full $140,000 himself without the assistance of others. However, as pointed out already, at least he is doing something unlike the Buffets and the Hollywood crowd who talk the talk ONLY.

[johnb123]

10:06 AM on 11/10/2011

The thing about Buffett, he NEVER gives his own money. He only raises money from OTHER people.

[aceshigh11]

10:44 AM on 11/10/2011

I don't think that's true...the vast majority of his fortune is going to charity.

[PhilipTaylor]

03:21 AM on 11/11/2011

HE TAKES - HE DOES NOT GIVE!

He AVOIDS TAXES!

He TAKES WELFARE!

[aceshigh11]

10:45 AM on 11/10/2011

Well yeah...$140,000 is nothing to Stephen King. I'm sure he gives plenty away.

[gnorrfa]

09:59 AM on 11/10/2011

Good for Stephen King. Some deride him because it's a drop in the bucket but it's still better than a poke in the eye with a long icicle. Maybe some others of wealth in Maine would help fill that offer to overflowing.

[Nora M]

10:32 AM on 11/10/2011

Among those wealthy who have homes in Maine count Chief Justice Roberts ( I am sure he will donate handsomely), Martha Stewart, a Rockefeller or two and several movie stars. Come on, step up the plate! You have plenty, so give back. You wouldn't want your favorite lobsterman to freeze to death this winter.