JAY — Members of a local heating assistance committee will bake and sell pies during the holidays to raise money for residents of three towns to heat their homes this year.

Apple, pumpkin and blueberry pies will be sold for $12 each.

With the high cost of heating oil, and federal and state low-income heating assistance being reduced, the committee for the Good Neighbor Tri-Town Fuel Assistance Program is “extremely concerned about people going cold this winter,” Chairperson Debra Kendall said.

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program is being cut by up to 60 percent, she said.

“Heating oil is rising more every day,” she said.

The group spent more than $30,000 last year and served 115 households with fuel or other heating sources, Kendall said.

There is $15,000 in the general fund at this time, she said.

The fuel assistance became available on Oct. 31 and Judy Frost at Western Maine Community Action, which administers the fund, has already reported a big demand, she said.

Members plan to find a central location for people to pick up their pies. If people don’t have the means to meet at the specified place, members will deliver the pies.

To order pies, call Debbie Kendall at 897-4639 or 320-1833, or Rhonda Burton at 897-6798.

“We will need a week’s notice to make the pies,” Kendall said. The pie sale will run until Dec 22.

If anyone would like to make a donation, they may send it to Good Neighbor Tri-Town Fuel Assistance Program, P.O. Box 183, Livermore Falls, ME 04254.

“Even a small donation will help,” she said.

Committee officers, besides Kendall, are Vice President Louise Chabot, Recording Secretary Rhonda Burton, Financial Secretary Jean Gilbert and Treasurer Heidi Sue Hall.

Other members are Paul Gilbert, Dakota Baker, Louis Chabot, Issac Frith, Mike Castaneda, Sally Beaudoin, John Beaudoin, Fern Doiron, George Doiron, Kay Webb, Bonnie Samson, Judy Frost and Tanya Gage

dperry@sunjournal.com