January 6, 2009 CITGO suspends free oil program Play video

(Scot Yount, NECN) - 78-year-old Matilda Winslow lives on a fixed income in Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood. She gets some free heating oil each winter from citizen's energy.

This was the scene four years ago. It could have been dismissed as a photo-op...but it was very real.

Since then, Joe Kennedy’s Citizen's Energy has been pouring heating oil into the tanks of 100s of thousands of elderly and low income families in 23 states, as well as 60 Indian tribes...but now...the well has run dry.

Joe Kennedy: "We pray that this is simply a delay..."

CITGO, the Venezuelan government's Texas-based company which sponsors the program cites falling oil prices and a weak global economy for the suspension of the program. The bottom line is that for now....people like Matilda will be looking for creative ways to stay warm.

Matilda has turned off the cable and cut back on everything....with the heating assistance she still had just 40 dollars left over each month after paying her gas and electric bills....she has been there before.

"When I don't have no oil...I have to go to my daughter's house keep warm."

CITGO's support of the program has been seen by critics as a way for president Hugo Chavez to embarrass the Bush administration. Kennedy has been unsuccessful in persuading US oil companies to take part. All Matilda knows is that a long cold winter is just beginning.