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News Release
January 23, 2007 H.E.A.T. Provides $755,000 to Help Georgians Pay Heating Bills Atlanta - The Heating Energy Assistance Team (H.E.A.T.), Inc., an Atlanta-based nonprofit organization that provides energy assistance statewide to low-income Georgians, announced today that it has provided $755,000 to the Georgia Department of Human Resources (DHR) to assist qualified families who are unable to pay their heating bills. "Many low-income families struggle to stay warm during winter when they have to balance the purchase of food, medicine and heat on a limited budget," said H.E.A.T.'s Board Chairman, Ira Shucker. "Every day H.E.A.T. answers dozens of calls from Georgians requesting help with utility payments. This donation will help reach the Georgia households in most need of emergency energy assistance this winter." One family's story The Aaron family - Frank, Julia and 2-year-old Kathryn - is among thousands of Georgia families who have benefited from receiving H.E.A.T. funds. In 2004 Frank was diagnosed with kidney cancer and was laid off from his job. It took all of the family's savings to afford the surgery to remove his cancer. Fortunately the surgery was successful, but Frank could not find employment afterward. In 2005 he was rehired by his former employer, but by then the family was forced to file bankruptcy. A few months later they found out that Frank had leukemia. Julia dedicated the next seven months to helping her husband recover. She split her time between visiting her daughter in their northeast Georgia home and Grady Hospital in Atlanta, where her husband was seeking treatment. "That December I realized we needed help to keep our home warm," says Julia. The aid that the Aarons received from H.E.A.T. helped them pay their winter heating bills. "I am very grateful that people care enough to contribute to H.E.A.T. and help people in need like our family," says Julia. Qualified families can get energy assistance H.E.A.T. funds are distributed by DHR through local community action agencies. Qualified families apply for assistance at the agency that serves their county. Households must meet established guidelines that include income eligibility. During the past 23 years, H.E.A.T. has distributed more than $15.5 million to some 78,000 families. "As the weather gets colder, there are low-income families in Georgia in danger of losing their heating" said Mary Dean Harvey, director of DHR's Division of Family and Children Services. "This timely contribution from H.E.A.T. will help us serve more than three thousand households that are most in need." Private citizens and natural gas companies made the financial contributions to H.E.A.T. that resulted in the $755,000 distribution. Georgia Natural Gas, SCANA Energy, AGL Resources, Gas South, MXenergy, Vectren Source, Infinite Energy, Coweta-Fayette EMC Natural Gas and GasKey all participated. About H.E.A.T. Established in 1983, H.E.A.T. began as a program of Atlanta Gas Light Company. With the deregulation of Georgia's natural gas industry, H.E.A.T. became a separate 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization in May 2000. The organization helps address the energy needs of low-income Georgians by joining forces with concerned citizens, businesses and state and local governments. During the past 23 years, H.E.A.T. has distributed more than $15.5 million to nearly 78,000 families in Georgia. For more information about H.E.A.T. or to donate online, go to www.heatga.org.
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