Give a little, repeat often. Keep the Heat On

PLYMOUTH — Tickets to the annual Keep The Heat On dinner and auction fundraiser Jan. 25 at the Common Man Inn in Plymouth have sold out. Proceeds from the popular raffle and silent auction will of course add to the Plymouth Area Community Closet account and fund the KTHO mission. However, with stubbornly high household expenses and an increased number of families needing relief, fundraising efforts must emphasize more sustained giving to our community programs.

Although home heating oil (New Hampshire’s dominant home heating fuel) costs dipped slightly last week, the price overall is up 15-20% from last year, and the cost of food and housing remains high. Fuel assistance for the 2022-23 winter season, available on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, began in mid-October with over 100 households receiving help before the end of the month. To ensure KTHO funds would not be exhausted too quickly, the PACC board limited fuel assistance to 10 applicants each on the designated mornings. In November and December 2022, 134 households received assistance; and, as of this writing, the PACC board has put fuel assistance on hiatus until after the January KTHO fundraiser.

Bob Gannett, a PACC volunteer who allocates KTHO funds for eligible residents, anticipates the number of requests to PACC for KTHO assistance to continue an upward trend. He noted that this season’s initial distribution — $93,000 to 239 households — will soon eclipse last year’s record of almost $100,000 in assistance provided to 229 households.

If you can’t join us this year, consider becoming a regular donor/sponsor, or writing “a check a month” to support the PACC/KTHO mission. If everyone were to give just a little each month, it could really add up — and KTHO could help even more neighbors in need.