Press release from Asheville-Buncombe Community Christian Ministry
Asheville-Buncombe Community Christian Ministry (ABCCM) kicks off their annual Safe & Warm Campaign on Wednesday, Jan. 26 at 12 noon and 5 pm at Carolina Furniture Concepts, 100 Airport Road in Arden.
The Safe & Warm Campaign raises funds to provide heating assistance and collects blankets, coats, scarves, hats, gloves, etc. for area residents in need. Sponsors are:
- Carolina Furniture Concepts
- WLOS
- HomeTrust Bank
- First Citizens Bank
- Champion Credit Union
- College Hunks Moving Junk
With the help of these sponsors, the campaign will collect new and gently used blankets as well as funds to help provide heating assistance for families and the homeless in Buncombe County. College Hunks Moving Junk will collect the blankets, coats and other warm clothing at the kickoff event.
This year donations are needed more than ever. Many Buncombe families live below the Federal Poverty Level and work low-wage jobs. Heating costs have risen since last year with natural gas up 15% and heating oil up 43%. Once a family comes to an ABCCM Crisis Ministry for heating assistance, they are within 5-8 days of being disconnected, or they are already disconnected. Many whose service is disconnected are at least two months behind and the monetary assistance can be from $150 to $250 to reconnect the service, along with the bill.
If a family is critically low on heating oil, a hundred gallons can cost nearly $350, a 43% increase over last year, and that may last only a month or so, depending upon the size of their home and how low the temperatures drop.
Of those requesting aid, about 50% are families with children, 25% are elderly, and 25% are disabled veterans. ABCCM assists about 20 families weekly that need help to keep their homes warm.
Last year, ABCCM helped 836 households with heating assistance, including those facing cut-offs and those already disconnected, for a cost of nearly $70,000.
“With January starting off as one of the coldest on record along with the recent big snow, the importance of keeping all our neighbors safe and warm is greatly underscored,” said Rev. Scott Rogers, ABCCM Executive Director. “We need you in 2022 to keep the heat on for families and the frail elderly. We need you in 2022 to keep shelters for homeless men, women, and moms with children safe and warm. We need you in 2022 to be a heartwarmer – to help keep everyone safe and warm.”
Anyone wanting to help can drop off new and gently used blankets and other winter clothing to any of our locations. Please visit abccm.org/safeandwarm for an updated list of locations and to make a donation to help vulnerable residents stay safe and warm this winter.
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