[Archived] City of Alexandria Needs Donations To Help Support Department of Human Services Charitable Fuel Fund

City Press Release


	For Immediate Release	For More Information, Contact
	December 14, 2005 PIO# 348-05/rdo	Steven J. Mason, Public Information Officer, or Raynard Owens, Communications Officer, at 703.838.4300 Raynard Owens, Communications Officer, at 703.838.4300

City of Alexandria Needs Donations To Help Support
Department of Human Services Charitable Fuel Fund

The City of Alexandria needs donations to help support its Department of Human Services (DHS) Charitable Fuel Fund. The tax-deductible donations will assist the City’s less fortunate residents by helping them make up the monetary difference in what the Virginia Energy Assistance Program provides them and the anticipated high cost of heating fuels.

Each year, the City offers assistance with heating bills through the Virginia Energy Assistance Program. This year, the City’s DHS anticipates benefits from the program will be inadequate due to the rising cost of heating fuels. Nationwide, consumers who heat with natural gas can expect to pay an astonishing 52 percent more this year for fuel than they did last year, according to the federal Energy Information Administration. Electricity prices could rise more than 11 percent, and heating oil prices may rise 34 percent.

Private utility companies are seeking donations from subscribers to support their long-standing fuel fund programs. Contributions to the fuel fund programs and the DHS Charitable Fuel Fund are used to assist when state benefits are inadequate and low-income residents may not be eligible for state benefits.

Persons who would like to help should send donations to: The DHS Charitable Fuel Fund, Department of Human Services, 2525 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria, VA 22301. Checks and money orders should be made out to the DHS Charitable Fuel Fund.

For more information on the City’s DHS Charitable Fuel Fund, call Uzma Quraishi of the Office of Community Services at 703.838.0971.

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