WEST WARWICK – As Patricia tried to enjoy a nice Thanksgiving with her four children, she quietly worried as the gauge indicated that her oil tank would soon be empty.
“All of my children were sick,” the single mother said, adding her three sons and daughter developed strep throat and conjunctivitis just before the holiday and were placed on antibiotics by a pediatrician.
“I had to keep the house warm for them,” Patricia continued. “I was in the doctor’s office three days in a row.”
When she learned that federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funds had not yet been released to area community action programs, Patricia contacted the rectory at SS. John and Paul Church, where she has been a longtime parishioner, to ask for help.
A parish secretary referred Patricia to Bishop Thomas J. Tobin’s “Keep the Heat On” challenge. After she was approved for assistance over the telephone, she received 100 gallons of heating oil later that afternoon.
“I am very grateful for what the diocese did to help me,” Patricia said. “It’s very hard with four children. I just didn’t have the money to buy oil.”
Patricia receives food stamps and child support, but struggles to pay monthly utility bills, incidentals such as school supplies and clothing for the children. A local senior citizens center provided the family with a Thanksgiving food basket, and arranged for a family to adopt the four children for Christmas.
“It’s difficult because they are always growing,” she lamented.
According to the young mother, the house, built in the 1800s, has no insulation, and its windows are warped, resulting in frequent drafts.
“Sometimes in the winter I have to put oil in the tank every two weeks,” Patricia continued. “It’s so difficult in the winter time.”
To conserve heat, windows are covered with plastic, and Patricia places blankets at the bottom of doors to prevent cold air from entering the apartment. She lowers the thermostat during the day, and wraps the children in extra blankets at night.
Like many others, Patricia said she once generously donated to local charities when she worked as a day care provider before her circumstances changed.
“When things get better, I will be able to give again,” she said optimistically.
According to David Studley, president of Patriot Oil Co. in West Warwick, the need for heating assistance has increased significantly since last winter.
“The economy is tough, the market is tough and the price of a barrel is high,” he said.
For the past three years, the company has adjusted its policy and makes deliveries of 25 and 50 gallons, selling the oil at a slightly higher per gallon price than it would for a 100- gallon delivery.
“That’s what the people can afford,” Studley said, adding that he hears “tragic stories” from people who are desperate to find an oil company that will work with them and deliver a small amount of heating oil.
“We are trying to service the people and help them out,” he said.
