Jan 6, 2009 3:14 pm US/Eastern
CITGO, Chavez End 'Joe For Oil' Program
Not-For-Profits In New York City Considering Writing Venezuelan Leader To Ask Him To Change His Mind
Cheap Oil Cut-Off To Impact 66,000 Families In Tri-State Area
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez delivers a speech during a ceremony with representatives of the foreign gas at the presidential palace Miraflores in Caracas on Sept. 19, 2008.
Thomas Coex/AFP/Getty Images
There is bad news for people looking for help in keeping their homes warm. The program that gave away $100 million in free heating oil last winter has been cut back to zero.
Citgo says it's suspending the project.
People across the country are feeling the chill.
They're bummed out in the Bronx.
"I'm disappointed, definitely," one resident said.
And they're bitter in Boston.
"What are you doing to your poor friends, that you said you were gonna help?" one man said.
Across the country, thousands who benefitted from Citgo's free oil program now find themselves cut off and out in the cold.
Citgo is owned by Venezuela. President Hugo Chavez enjoyed tweaking President George Bush by donating oil to low-income Americans.
"The big kahuna was those Venezuelan tankers," former Congressman Joe Kennedy said.
Kennedy, who oversaw the free oil program, said as of Tuesday, Venezuela is turning off the tap due to the world economic crisis and falling oil revenue.
"It's been quite a shocker to us," said Sean Belle of the Mount Hope Housing Company.
Mount Hope is one of several Bronx not-for-profits that got free oil from Citgo, and passed some of the savings on to thousands of tenants in the form of rent credits.
"It's been very popular in the community," Mount Hope tenant Jamel Allah said. "Tenants embraced it because of the rebate they got towards their rent."
The Citgo oil program launched in the South Bronx in 2005, and since then has expanded to help scores of families across the tri-state. Last winter, free Citgo oil benefitted 51,000 families in New York, 8,900 in New Jersey and 5,600 in Connecticut.
Mount Hope Housing said losing the free oil will add 30 percent to its heating costs this winter.
"We're just one of the recipients and for us it's an important funding source, so we're hoping and we will certainly encourage them to reverse this decision," Belle said.
Mount Hope will start a campaign, urging residents to write President Chavez, asking him to keep the free oil flowing.
If you need help covering your heating bills this winter, please click here, and while you're there tell us what's worrying you in 2009. You can send us your e-mail, photos and videos about anything from your home to your investments.
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