BOOTHBAY HARBOR, Maine — In mid-December in Maine, temperatures hover around freezing and typically don't climb from there. It's the time of year when heat at home is essential. This year, though, rising costs with inflation are a barrier for a lot of people. Now, locals in one small Maine community are doing what they can to help their neighbors.
The Congregational Church of Boothbay Harbor has raised $13,000 and counting for the Community Resource Council, which serves all of the towns on the peninsula: Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, Edgecomb, and Southport. The church is donating that total to the CRC's "community fuel fund" as part of a longstanding tradition.
"There [are] lots of people in this community who don’t have a lot," the Rev. Todd Weir said. "They're the folks [who] often make the community work, who are serving our food and stocking the shelves and [doing] all of the important things that make a community happen."
The church held its annual Christmas fair fundraiser the second weekend of December, raising much of that $13,000. Weir said people brought in everything from cookies to used jewelry to sell, helping the church exceed its $10,000 goal.
Weir said he thinks people in this community really care about their neighbors, especially after a year of record inflation. The money raised so far should help between 25 and 30 families heat their homes for a month.
"People are really pinched. I know I was getting phone calls in late October when people were already feeling the pinch around heat and things like that," Weir said.
Parishioner Liam Kent said about 200 people showed up at the Christmas fair fundraiser. He said Boothbay Harbor has a lot of affluent community members, but there are also a lot of locals who are struggling to get by every day. To him, efforts like this play a big role in getting rid of the stigma of asking for help.
"People were coming in and giving each other big bear hugs," Kent said. "They were actively giddy to want to help out."
He said that was apparent through the many monetary donations they received.
"I mean, easily within the span of an hour we were getting about 20 to 30 checks," Kent said. "They were usually between $100 and $600."
Holly Stover, director of operations for the CRC, said the small nonprofit runs eight programs, based on the needs of people living on the peninsula. She said their goal is to give people "a leg up, not a hand out" by helping them find resources they can take advantage of and looking at their budgeting.
"Oftentimes it’s not because anything went wrong," Stover said. "It’s that they are lower wage earners. There are many [people] who are lower wage earners who work very hard. They just need some assistance at points in the winter and in life."
Stover said that's especially true this year. She said she has been seeing people who have never come in for help before, and the CRC's budget for heating from last year has doubled.
"We’re expecting to spend over $40,000," Stover said. "We're spending on average right now, when it’s not even super cold yet, between $7,000 and $8,000 per week."
The CRC provides immediate assistance while people wait for other resources like LIHEAP to kick in, since those applications can sometimes take a while to be approved. Stover said that's why efforts like the church's donation are important, so they can continue to help people in real time.
"We raise our money locally and spend it locally. That’s one of the things we’re very proud of," Stover said.
Stover said if you live in the Boothbay area and need heating assistance, you can call the CRC's main line at 207-633-6272. You can also call the CRC's community navigator, Hannah Corkum. at 207-350-1743.
If you'd like to donate to the CRC, click here to learn more.