Woodyard Fund keeps winter at bay

Maj. Roger Coulson knows it’s just a matter of time before the long lines start to form.

With the colder weather just ahead and the effects of a struggling economy, the area coordinator for the Salvation Army of the Midlands is expecting requests for heating assistance to be at a premium again this year.

But he and others at the agency again will be counting on the community’s generosity as the annual Woodyard Fund drive officially begins this week.

The fund helps pay energy bills for Richland, Lexington, Fairfield and Newberry County residents who are in crisis situations. Those needs are certain to be significant again this year as many continue to struggle to secure basic needs because of a job loss or other financial strain.

Area donors contributed $130,260 — up from $122,000 the previous year — to last year’s Woodyard Fund. That generosity allowed the Salvation Army to provide utility assistance to 434 families.

Coulson said Salvation Army workers saw an increase of families who had suffered job losses and whose savings and other financial resources had been exhausted.

“Workers saw single parent families, particularly mothers, with high electric bills and high propane gas costs,” he said, “There were families whose unemployment benefits had run out.”

Agency officials expect many of those same patterns this year.

“Many families who had been two-income families are now one-income families,” Coulson said. Most have reached the end of their rope.”

Responding to such circumstances is a principle the Woodyard Fund has modeled since it was created.

The fund traces its origins to 1816, when the Ladies Benevolent Society provided firewood and, later, coal to families in need. The society turned management of the charity over to the Salvation Army around the turn of the 20th century.

In 1930, William E. Gonzales, then-editor of The State, began publicizing the fund and those it helped, a tradition the newspaper continues each winter.

Through the fund, eligible households get vouchers redeemable at businesses that provide heating services. The Salvation Army reimburses the businesses for the voucher amounts.

Coulson said the fund remains a virtual lifeline for many struggling families.

“Utility assistance is a homeless prevention effort,” he said. “If a person’s home is not warm, they may leave and move in with someone else, which is a second layer of impact.”

But he praised the community for its continued support of the fund and those it helps.

“Last year’s support helped keep homes warm and kept roofs over people’s heads,” he said. “We are grateful that last year members of the community financially supported the Woodyard Fund.”

Coulson urged those who can to continue that support.

“Based on the huge number of requests for Christmas assistance, we anticipate a dramatic increase in the number of families needing and qualifying for help this winter,” he said. “We hope for compassionate support from the community to help meet these needs through generous financial donations.”

Each applicant is carefully screened to verify their need and to ensure that no other resources are available, Coulson said.

The Woodyard Fund usually runs from late November through March, when temperatures generally are the lowest.