New York Times Story On Couple Without Heat Spurs $100,000 In Donations (How You Can Help)

When retired Maine resident Robert Hartford tried to hand over the title to his 16-year-old Lincoln Town Car in exchange for heating oil to prevent him and his disabled wife from freezing, he didn't expect the outpouring of generosity that would follow.

But Dan Barry's article that appeared on the front page of Saturday's edition of The New York Times struck a chord with readers across the country, many of whom immediately wanted to help.

According to the Lewiston Sun Journal, Ike Libby, the struggling business owner of Hometown Energy in Dixfield, Maine, says the company has received over $100,000 in donations to help the heat homes of their impoverished customers.

"I didn't expect this to happen," Libby told the Lewiston Sun Journal. "You can't even put it into words. America's got a heartbeat and we are hearing it."

Cutbacks have reduced the budget for the federal Low Income Heating Assistance Program (LIHEAP) from $56.5 million to $39.9 million in Maine. As a result, many people living in cold climates depending on aid from the program have been struggling to keep up with heating oil expenses this winter.

Nevertheless, Libby has helped the Hartfords and many other Maine families struggling to stay warm by delivering oil to people he knew couldn't afford their bills.

Now, thanks to the donations, he's been able to set up a fund to help cover the costs, according to the Associated Press.

"I haven't always looked out for the best interest of the business, but you know what this has been great," Libby told WCSH, referring to the donations.

The Hartfords have also received donations directly, along with having their house fitted for energy efficient insulation by Josh Wojcik of Upright Frameworks, according to the Lewiston Journal.

Those interested in donating to the heating oil trust can contact Hometown Energy at [phone] or mail checks to Hometown Energy at P.O. Box 485, Dixfield, ME 04224. Donations are also being accepted online via Hometown Energy's website.

Comments

[Warren Barrington]

03:20 PM on 07/23/2012

Car Donation Wizard (http://www.cardonationwizard.com) provides charitable relief through car donations to people in need worldwide. Visit our site to see some of the many incredible and deserving nonprofits we work with like: Habitat for Humanity, U.S. Fund for UNICEF, March of Dimes, National Public Radio, American Cancer Society and more!

[East Dixfield]

03:28 PM on 02/24/2012

this story is a scam try to get some help when you get laid off ike libby dosent care he only wants to get you to send huim money so he can pay off his outstanding accounts this is a scam dont donate to your home town oil if ypur not his customer you can freeze dont belive it its noty true i notice you comet on how great this lie is you dont live in dixfield i do

[VeronicaLeeAn]

01:49 AM on 02/09/2012

What a beautiful story!

[ClaudiaL]

01:47 AM on 02/09/2012

God bless them all. What a beautiful story. I wish this story had aired during Superbowl halftime. Maybe more people would have been touched to lend a hand to their fellow man. Maybe Newt would have thought twice before calling Mr. Obama the foodstamp president.

[gattic619]

01:22 AM on 02/09/2012

THE GOVERNMENT CAN CUT HELPING OUR OWN PEOPLE'S HEATING OIL HELP...BUT CONTINUE TO BUILD ATOMIC BOMBS, AND BILLIONS ON THE MILITARY....SO OUR PEOPLE CAN FREEZE TO DEATH, AS LONG AS WE SPEND MONEY TO BUILD BOMBS TO KILL PEOPLE.....AND MAKE THE MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX RICHER........

[Matthew Couloute]

08:04 PM on 02/08/2012

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[twolfrn]

07:04 PM on 02/08/2012

if americans don't help take care of other americans then no one else will, most certaintely not our government

[OleProfessor]

05:27 PM on 02/08/2012

Obama Cut Federal Heating Assistance to the Poor ( Heap ) by 50%..$2.5 Billion..

About what he gladly wastes in Afghanistan in one week..!

[dionwll4]

11:38 PM on 02/07/2012

aww i hate that he lost his car tho

[zg1968]

11:02 PM on 02/10/2012

The oil company wouldn't take the car....they had a small fund to provide for needy people and gave them oil from that.

[wendy82551]

11:26 PM on 02/07/2012

This is a great story about the inherent generosity of the American people. We need to bring this "We're all in this together" attitude into our politics, vote with our generosity of spirit, not with our fear.

[stevec2nd]

10:37 PM on 02/07/2012

This why so many people love Maine and never want to leave.

[Mr Fill]

10:20 PM on 02/07/2012

The Massachusetts Energy Consumers Alliance and People's Power & Light of Rhode Island (www.massenergy.org or www.ripower.org) are sister non-profit organizations that operate as heating oil buying clubs in their respective states. They also provide free deliveries to families in need thanks to dedicated funds from donations of its 15,000 household members, funding from the City of Boston and the Rhode Island Foundation. We see the same tragedy's reported in the Times in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Despite the warm winter the Oil Bank funds are nearly spent and folks LIHEAP benefits have about run their course. With six weeks of winter (and April can be a cruel month in New England), hundreds of families will be chilling by their space heaters in the coming weeks.

[Michelle Seltzer]

08:49 PM on 02/07/2012

This would not happen if we replaced fuel based heating.....

[aerkokevin]

01:11 PM on 02/08/2012

with what?

[Michelle Seltzer]

08:23 PM on 02/08/2012

I was thinking of alternative energy sources such as solar, turbine, etc...We actually only have electric here in FL. The summer electric bill is a killer.

[pfz]

04:35 PM on 02/08/2012

or if we eliminated winter.

[Michelle Seltzer]

08:23 PM on 02/08/2012

I get that :)

[Disketta]

07:24 PM on 02/07/2012

Very uplifting, but it doesn't let the government off the hook. There is still a lot of need in other areas that is not being addressed. The only way to do it is through social service agencies, not occasional NY Times articles. Still, I am glad those people will be warmer this winter.

[Misty Sims]

07:19 PM on 02/07/2012

This is just so cool!! It makes my hope in humanity rebound a little bit!! Good going to everyone who did this, if I was disabled and on limited income myself I would gladly donate to such a wonderful idea!!