“Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can’t help them, at least don’t hurt them.”

I am currently an intern at the United Way of the Tri-Valley Area. Part of my role there is to help connect people in the community to community resources. I am learning so much about the United Way’s mission to improve people’s lives, and about the true need in the Greater Franklin County community. I have had the rare opportunity to work with passionate, dedicated people throughout my internship, and I feel compelled to write to you to spotlight these people, including Reverend Susan Crane of Henderson Memorial Baptist Church.

Susan’s path to becoming coordinator of the Ecumenical Heating Fund in the fall of 2005, stemmed from lunch. A lunch with other local clergy and Fen Fowler of Western Maine Community Action to identify unmet community needs as local clergy were overwhelmed with requests from community members for help to “fill their oil tanks.” Discussions of pooling resources took place and churches gave money to the fund based on how much they had given to pay for oil bills.

As we are all well aware, “Franklin County in winter” and “freezing temperatures” are words that are synonymous; and can be dreaded for some. Especially if you are unable to pay your heating bill. Rev. Susan Crane, of Henderson Memorial Baptist Church in Farmington, would like to make that at least a little less common feeling for so many families in Greater Franklin County.

She, along with others in the Farmington Area Ecumenical Ministry, have established the Franklin County Ecumenical Heating Fund, and is making a great effort to keep people in the Greater Farmington area warm during these winter months. Susan continues to put countless hours of hard work into these efforts; five years worth so far.

I sat down and talked with her recently because my work with the United Way was frequently intersecting with her work. In my interview with her, it appeared she had no plans of stopping any time soon. In her words “I know what the need is; I cannot walk away from these people. If and when I am able to have an opportunity to help, I will do my best to get more money... God led me to that possibility, and I am going to see it through.”

More people this year are seeking help who are not eligible for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. Those who are middle class; and with these economic times, “are poor; but not poor enough” for these benefits, according to Susan. When someone runs out of oil to heat their homes, they can get a delivery; but only if they have credit or cash. Therefore, if a community member has financial hardships and no credit with the oil company; it will cost, on average, $300 to have 100 gallons delivered… in cash. Most dealers will not deliver any less than 100 gallons without a surcharge for the small delivery.

Fuel dealers are feeling the stress of the times and the needs that are throughout the community. It used to be that people who qualified for LIHEAP could get an oil delivery in the fall from their regular fuel dealer, because the dealer assumed payment would come as soon as LIHEAP money came in.

Fuel dealers cannot afford to do that anymore, so requests for ECUheat help triple in the fall. Susan recognizes that while there are many throughout the community who are having their own financial hardships; they are still extremely generous in helping their neighbors get through theirs. Neighbors helping one another, by going into Trask Jewelers last year and emptying their pockets of change, because they wanted to help the organization; and because they too might one day need the help. Or by calling the jewelers to say that they had wanted to come in and put money into the pink mason jars for the fund inside; but were unable to find a parking spot, so the jar was brought out to them.

Susan continues this work, taking on new challenges and tasks; thinking back to times like November of 2008 when ECUheat ran out of funds. Calls were pouring in for help and LIHEAP wouldn’t arrive until Dec. 1. One call that stays with her was from a mother, with an infant in a trailer, who had no heat, nowhere to go and Susan could not help her because the fund was temporarily out of money. It is scenarios like that from the community that make her say that she cannot ignore it, but rather, this is what she can do.

Susan is doing what she is able to do to help; including spreading the word of the plight of an increasing number of Franklin County families all the way to California. She remembers with a smile the day she opened her mail box to find a check for the heating fund from her brother living in California.

While Susan spreads the word for the need of funds for the Ecumenical Heating Fund throughout Franklin County and beyond, she is reluctant to talk about all that she herself has done. Spending numerous hours fielding phone calls and questions, referring callers to Western Maine Community Action to apply for assistance, keeping financial records of the fund itself, and learning about and writing grants on the fund’s behalf. This is something she can do to help Franklin County families who have nowhere else to turn in order to heat their homes. As Susan puts it, “Just because it has been a mild winter, doesn’t mean that we have turned off our furnaces. Fuel is still needed for them to run.”

Susan notes that the donations people give are available immediately to those in need and stay completely in Franklin County communities. She also says with conviction that while the weather may be warming up, the heating fund is cooling down and help is needed! There are several more months of cold weather ahead and virtually no money available for help when the weather turns cold this fall.

Every little bit helps; change included, and the pink mason jar may even be brought to you so you don’t have to find a parking spot. If you want to donate to the fund, or speak with Susan Crane (I’ll warn you, her enthusiasm is infectious!), please call 778-2163.

Allison K. Wood is an intern at the United Way of the Tri-Valley Area, and a student at the University of Maine at Farmington, Community Health Education.