Raymond Archer was on the verge of losing his home during the cold Maine winter last year when government assistance came to the rescue, and he’s prepared for this season to be even more difficult.
Archer, a 50-year-old construction worker who was out of work for nine months during the COVID-19 pandemic, used $1,000 in heating assistance to keep his fuel tank full last year. He said he could need the help again along with many others with rising fuel costs and predictions of a cold winter.
“If it wasn’t for them helping me, I don’t want to sound drastic, I probably would’ve given up last year,” said Archer, who rents a home in Alfred, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) from Portland. “Only reason I still have my house is because they helped me.”
