Westport Warm-Up Program Seeks Donations

WESTPORT, CT — The Westport Warm-Up fund, a community-supported initiative managed by the town's Department of Human Services, is seeking donations.

In a news release, Human Services Director Elaine Daignault said the fund helps income-qualified households with home heating expenses through the cold winter months.

According to Daignault, the 21-22 winter season will be one of the most expensive on record forcing some households to choose whether to heat or eat this winter.

Daignault said a recent 2021 U.S. Census Bureau survey found that nearly a third of Americans have had to forgo or cut back on essential household necessities like food and medicine to pay their energy bills, a reality many living in poverty or on fixed incomes must deal with every month.

"Between global supply chain problems, inflated food costs, and gasoline prices reaching an all-time high, many Westport seniors and families are struggling to meet their basic needs," Daignault said in a news release. "As we turn up our thermostats this season, please take a moment to pause and reflect on the challenges of the past year and a half, and then consider how the pandemic and economic fallout has disproportionately affected our most vulnerable residents."

Annually, the Westport Warm-Up Program helps hundreds of households experiencing financial hardships.

"Thanks to the community’s generosity," Daignault said, "friends and neighbors can keep their homes warm, the lights on, and food on their tables."

Tax-deductible donations to the Westport Warm-Up Fund directly and immediately benefit friends and neighbors this winter.

Contributions are accepted online at www.westportct.gov/donate or by mail to Westport Warm-Up Fund, Department of Human Services, Westport Town Hall, 110 Myrtle Ave., Westport CT 06880.