Once a month, FUUSE gives away the offering to a charitable organization serving our communities. The Outreach Committee evaluates and chooses the recipient charities.

January’s Give-it-Away Offering will be for the RCA – Gift of Warmth

Rockingham Community Action (RCA) administers the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), also known as Fuel Assistance, which provides elderly, handicapped and low-income residents with the financial assistance necessary to meet vital heating and utility expenses. This important program is funded in part by the Department of Health and Human Services. Since it is intended to supplement a household’s heating, it is  sometimes not enough for the most vulnerable of households. Additionally, it is an eligibility program so not all who apply are eligible.

There are always a substantial number of people who do not qualify because they are just over the income guidelines but desperately need help with their fuel and utility bills due to reasons such as extreme medical costs or job loss. Donations to the Gift of Warmth program allow assistance to households who still need help, as well as to households who have exhausted their Fuel Assistance benefits and are in dire need of additional fuel. This  winter is particularly difficult due to the reduction in benefits from the federal government because of the ending of the COVID 19 increase.