How We Warm Up the Winter — J’s Story
“It was the coldest weekend of the year. I woke up freezing in the early hours of Saturday morning. I touched the heater in our bedroom. The metal was cold. I checked the thermostat, and the temperature read 39 degrees. I turned the heat switch on and off, and I heard the furnace engage, but all I felt was cold air. I went to the sink and turned on the hot water…nothing. I looked down at my wife in bed with the covers up to her neck. I then saw our bunny rabbits huddled side by side, clearly discussing what was obvious to them…there was no heat. Then came the stomach punch from my conscience, as I realized I had not checked the oil tank in a while.
I’m out of oil, I thought.
Being forgetful is one thing, but as a father and a husband, not being able to provide is a slow death. I suddenly felt sick, and then the panic kicked in.
Heat assistance was limited this year, and I didn’t have enough extra money for the minimum of a hundred gallons of oil you have to purchase before delivery. It’s the coldest weekend of the year, and it’s Saturday, when most places are closed for assistance, including oil delivery. So for the rest of the weekend, I boiled water on the stove to add some heat back to the house.
The hours dragged, and the days were long as Monday morning slowly rolled around. I called a few places for assistance. BCAC, Neighbor to Neighbor, 18 Degrees, Salvation Army. All to no avail.
I called John B Hull Oil and told them my situation. The phone operator was compassionate, but he let me know that there are a lot of people in the same situation as mine, and there’s a list of “1st priority” even with the money up front for the hundred gallons. As someone in remission from cancer, I haven’t been able to work much this year, and my beautiful wife has been taking care of everything.
With no answers or a solution to move forward, I had one last idea: to call Construct.
Excitement overcame me when John B Hull arrived at my house to deliver our oil. It had been a long, cold weekend, and a light was finally breaking through the dark clouds.
So now I had oil but still no heat. I called my landlord, and he said to me, “Not having oil is one part of the problem, but the other part is that the furnace has to be serviced in order for it to restart”. I called John B. Hull and asked them how much the service fee was. He told me $120.00 dollars would do the trick…I felt defeated. Having oil without a running furnace equals no heat. That’s all that made sense to me. Before hanging up the phone, the voice on the other end asked me, “Are you a volunteer at the Housy Dome in Housatonic?”
I said, “Yes, sir, I am and have been for some years now.”
He paused for a moment and then said, “We appreciate your commitment to the community, and we will pay for your service fee!”
With uncertainty, I said, “Are you serious?”
He replied, “Yes, and thank you for your service. ” I followed up with a huge “Thank you. I am blessed!”
I don’t believe in luck or coincidences, but I do believe in good karma and the lord’s grace. I believe whatever you give will always return to you in abundance.
How We Warm Up The Winter: J’s Story
It was the coldest weekend of the year. I woke up freezing in the early hours of Saturday morning. I touched the heater in our bedroom. The metal was cold. I checked the thermostat, and the temperature read 39 degrees. I turned the heat switch on and off, and I heard the furnace engage, but all I felt was cold air. I went to the sink and turned on the hot water…nothing. I looked down at my wife in bed with the covers up to her neck. I then saw our bunny rabbits huddled side by side, clearly discussing what was obvious to them…there was no heat. Then came the stomach punch from my conscience, as I realized I had not checked the oil tank in a while.
I’m out of oil, I thought.
Being forgetful is one thing, but as a father and a husband, not being able to provide is a slow death. I suddenly felt sick, and then the panic kicked in.
Heat assistance was limited this year, and I didn’t have enough extra money for the minimum of a hundred gallons of oil you have to purchase before delivery. It’s the coldest weekend of the year, and it’s Saturday, when most places are closed for assistance, including oil delivery. So for the rest of the weekend, I boiled water on the stove to add some heat back to the house.
The hours dragged, and the days were long as Monday morning slowly rolled around. I called a few places for assistance. BCAC, Neighbor to Neighbor, 18 Degrees, Salvation Army. All to no avail.
I called John B Hull Oil and told them my situation. The phone operator was compassionate, but he let me know that there are a lot of people in the same situation as mine, and there’s a list of “1st priority” even with the money up front for the hundred gallons. As someone in remission from cancer, I haven’t been able to work much this year, and my beautiful wife has been taking care of everything.
With no answers or a solution to move forward, I had one last idea: to call Construct.
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Construct is a nonprofit in Berkshire County that helps those with housing-related needs. Not knowing what to expect, I called and left a message. I got an immediate callback from Ms. Kate Coulehan, Construct’s Housing Navigator.
Kate was kind and compassionate, and she helped give me reassurance that, whatever the problem, we would figure it out. She assured me that I had called the right place. I talked, and Kate listened. After the conversation, Kate informed me that she would be pushing my emergency situation to her supervisor, Courtney Kimball. Within a couple of hours, Kate called me back and said that her supervisor would process my emergency request for an oil assistance payment immediately. I felt the goose bumps and a warmth that engulfed my body with emotion. I was so grateful.
Excitement overcame me when John B Hull arrived at my house to deliver our oil. It had been a long, cold weekend, and a light was finally breaking through the dark clouds.
So now I had oil but still no heat. I called my landlord, and he said to me, “Not having oil is one part of the problem, but the other part is that the furnace has to be serviced in order for it to restart”. I called John B. Hull and asked them how much the service fee was. He told me $120.00 dollars would do the trick…I felt defeated. Having oil without a running furnace equals no heat. That’s all that made sense to me. Before hanging up the phone, the voice on the other end asked me, “Are you a volunteer at the Housy Dome in Housatonic?”
I said, “Yes, sir, I am and have been for some years now.”
He paused for a moment and then said, “We appreciate your commitment to the community, and we will pay for your service fee!”
With uncertainty, I said, “Are you serious?”
He replied, “Yes, and thank you for your service. ” I followed up with a huge “Thank you. I am blessed!”
I don’t believe in luck or coincidences, but I do believe in good karma and the lord’s grace. I believe whatever you give will always return to you in abundance.
We are fortunate to have a service like Construct with kind and compassionate human beings who care about others. We are all connected, no matter the color, race, or gender.
Thank you, Kate Coulehan, for being my voice of reason. You are at the right place, and your presence is needed.
Thank you, Courtney Kimball. You continue to lead with grace. I myself and this community appreciate you and Construct.
Also, I would like to say thank you to JOHN B HULL and staff for your service and empathy.
One thing I have learned in life is that no one person can do it alone, and we are stronger together as a community!
One kind act can change the world!“