Warm Homes, Warm Hearts

Warm Homes, Warm Hearts: How Acadia Lending Group Is Helping Keep Maine Families Warm This Winter

Maine winters are beautiful… but they can also be brutal. With snow-packed roads, freezing temperatures, and rising heating costs, many families across our state struggle to keep their homes safe and warm. Access to heating assistance programs in Maine has become more critical than ever, especially as emergency funding has been reduced and costs continue to rise.

Heating Assistance Programs in Maine: Why They Matter This Winter

Emergency heating assistance has been reduced statewide while the need continues to grow, particularly among ALICE families - households that are Asset Limited, Income Constrained, and Employed. These are working Mainers who live paycheck to paycheck and often don't qualify for traditional assistance programs, yet still lack the savings needed to keep up with rising household costs.

Last winter alone, more than 5,000 Mainers reached out to 211 Maine seeking help with heating their homes. Those calls represent neighbors, families, seniors, and children facing the harsh reality of choosing between warmth and other essential needs.

At Acadia Lending Group, we believe no one should have to make that choice.

That's why this December we launched our Warm Homes, Warm Hearts campaign in partnership with Keep ME Warm, a statewide emergency heating assistance fund operated through United Ways of Maine and local Community Action Programs.

What is Keep ME Warm?

The Keep ME Warm Fund was created to help Maine residents who are facing heating emergencies, especially those who fall through the cracks of federal and state energy assistance programs. Through partnerships with:

• Community Action Agencies
• United Ways across Maine
• 211 Maine

the fund provides fast, direct relief to households struggling with heating costs when options run out.

Keep ME Warm works alongside existing fuel assistance programs but steps in when those supports are no longer enough - ensuring Mainers in crisis are not left without heat during the coldest months of the year. Programs like Keep ME Warm play a critical role in ensuring heating assistance programs in Maine can reach families quickly when emergency needs arise.

How Our Campaign Works

From December 1st to 31st, Acadia Lending Group is donating $50 for every loan that closes during the month to support emergency heating assistance through the Keep ME Warm Fund.

Simply put:

Homes funded = homes warmed.

Every time we help someone purchase or refinance their home, we’re also helping another Maine family keep the heat on this winter.

Where the Donations Go

Transparency matters to us, and to our community.

When donations are designated specifically for Keep ME Warm emergency heating assistance, here’s how funds are allocated:

• 95% of every donation is distributed directly to heating assistance partners across Maine.
• 5% supports the essential administrative systems that securely process donations and manage distribution.

That 95% is further shared according to a statewide formula developed by Community Action Programs and United Ways in Maine:

• 50% –> Community Action Programs
  (Direct fuel purchases and emergency heating assistance to households)
• 25% –> United Ways across Maine
  (Local distribution and coordination)
• 25% –> 211 Maine
  (The statewide resource line connecting Mainers to immediate assistance)

This structure ensures funds are efficiently distributed where they can make the fastest and greatest impact, while maintaining the systems that allow help to be delivered safely and effectively.

Why This Matters

Home means comfort. Home means safety. Home means warmth, especially in Maine.

Every winter, families across our state face the fear of empty oil tanks, propane deliveries they can’t afford, or utility bills they cannot pay. For elderly residents, young families, veterans, and working households alike, heating assistance isn’t about convenience – it’s about health, safety and dignity.

As Maine’s highest-rated local mortgage broker, Acadia Lending Group is proud to stand rooted in the communities we serve. Our work doesn’t end at the closing table – it extends to supporting the real needs of our neighbors.

If you would like to make a donation of your own, or learn more, you can help keep Maine warm at keepmewarm.org. Learn more about the many other services provided at the United Way of Southern Maine.