By Molly Lovell
Editor
     Winters in Maine bring a slue of issues for families across the state, including figuring out how they’re going to pay for heating oil. While that hurtle is over for now, many Scarborough families won’t forget the effort of one local organization who provided them with full oil tanks this past winter.
     Project G.R.A.C.E. (Granting Resources and Assistance Through Community Effort), a non-profit organization in Scarborough gave fuel assistance to more than 55 families in need and spent more than $20,000 in heating oil.
     Last September Eddie Woodin, a long time Project G.R.A.C.E. supporter called the organization’s Executive Director Hope Taggart and said he would write a check for $2,500 to get the fuel assistance project started.
     “A few press releases were submitted and word of mouth of our efforts started circling around town–before we knew it, the monetary donations to be used for heating fuel started coming into the office,” Taggart said.
     Woodin, a Scarborough resident and Portland business owner said the reason he got involved with Project G.R.A.C.E. has much to do with his strong spirituality. Woodin has owned his own business for 15 years, though he said God is the true owner of that business. “God said spread it among many,” Woodin said, and now he works with more than 50 charities locally and internationally.
     “I know there are people with wealth on the sidelines and I want to lead by example and say, ‘look, you can make a big difference,’” Woodin said.
     Project G.R.A.C.E. began as an “adopt-a-family” program where members of St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish were asked to provide items for needy families during the holidays. In 2002 the program was expanded to a year-round, town-wide effort.
     Now the organization aids families in a number of ways, which include providing clothing, school supplies, food baskets, interest free loans for household expenses and personal care items among other things.
     Project G.R.A.C.E. has raised money for fuel assistance in the past, but this year’s fundraising efforts far exceeded amounts raised in years past. “Attention was drawn to this effort because the fuel prices were increasing and the cost of such things as groceries and child care are getting more expensive. Families were just struggling and having a hard time making ends meet,” Taggart said of the stepped up effort.
     Several years ago Quirk Oil offered the organization a reduced rate when purchasing oil to serve families in the Scarborough area. In 2005 Pine State Energy purchased Quirk Oil.  
     Taggart said when she contacted Sam Marcisso, owner and president of Pine State Energy, he was more than willing to continue to lend a hand to Project G.R.A.C.E.
     “He didn’t even question it,” Taggart said. “Pine State Energy has been passionate about helping people within the community . . . they go out of their way or add time to their already busy day to deliver to a recipient family who is out of heating fuel on a cold winter’s day,” she said.
     Taggart said the process in which a family receives help from Project G.R.A.C.E. is simple. Potential recipients are asked a series of non-invasive questions to determine what they might need. Recipients don’t need to be in a certain income bracket or be receiving help from the state.
     “We help those people who are falling between the cracks,” Taggart said. She said it’s possible for recipients to be families making $40,000 a year, but for one reason or another can’t make ends meet. In situations like that it’s common for such a family to have had an unforeseen medical expense or vehicle issue.
     “Scarborough is a growing community and with that comes increasing taxes, an uncontrollable increase. It takes some budgeting,” Taggart said.
     When faced with paying such increases, some families have to choose between that or buying food for the week, Taggart said.
     Typical recipients are working families with children and the elderly. Taggart said the elderly have a particularly tough time asking for help. “They’re very proud. The elderly have lived through harder times than what we’re in today,” she said.
      “People are certainly surprised when they hear the numbers of families Project G.R.A.C.E. helps at any one time,” Taggart said. Taggart has been with the organization for two years and often finds that people don’t know what Project G.R.A.C.E. is about.
     “There are a lot of Scarborough families we could be reaching out to,” she said.
     Though winter is over and the organization’s fuel assistance fundraiser is done for this year, Project G.R.A.C.E. offers a number of programs for families in need throughout the summer. They offer the opportunity for children to attend summer camps as well as offer backpacks full of supplies to deserving kids before they go back to school in the fall.
     The organization relies on volunteer support and donations of all kinds to continue to help the community. For more information about Project G.R.A.C.E. visit www.projectgracemaine.org or call 883-5111.