(PROVIDENCE, R.I.) – The Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence has announced that the National Grid Foundation has made another major gift donation for its ‘Keep the Heat On’ heating assistance program. The donation of $250,000 is the eighth major gift that the heating assistance program has accepted from the Foundation and the largest to date, more than double last year’s donation of $100,000.

“The Diocese of Providence is very grateful to the National Grid Foundation for its wonderful donation to the ‘Keep the Heat On’ program,” said the Most Reverend Bishop Thomas J. Tobin. “This generous gift will warm many hearts and homes in the days and weeks to come. In the name of all those who will directly benefit from our heating assistance program, a sincere “thank you” to the National Grid Foundation!”

“We are pleased to again be able to help our neighbors by not only continuing our annual support of Keep the Heat On,” said Ed White, Executive Director of the National Grid Foundation. “But we are especially thrilled to be able to provide additional funding to offer even more relief for fuel-neutral energy costs during this unprecedented situation. We have a long history of serving as a community partner and understand the critical need in our communities. We are grateful to organizations like Catholic Social Services of Rhode Island as they deliver so many much-needed services at this difficult time.”     

‘Keep the Heat On’ has raised more than $3.65 million to help 15,000 families and individuals in Rhode Island with heating assistance since its inception in 2005. This winter the diocese assisted 303 households at a cost of more than $48,000 to help families and individuals stay warm.  Over the last eight years, the National Grid Foundation has provided a total of $915,000 to the diocesan heating assistance program. 

The National Grid Foundation is an independent, non-profit, charitable organization that was started by one of National Grid’s predecessor companies more than two decades ago.  The Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life, economic strength and environmental stewardship across National Grid’s service territory.  Since it began in December 1998, the Foundation has provided more than $27 million in grants to hundreds of organizations.

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