Thank you, President Chavez: How Venezuela Keeps Low Income Americans Warm
Sofie Holland, a longtime resident of Washington, D.C.'s, Anacostia neighborhood, says the unusual scene that took place on her front yard back in the winter of 2007 is forever etched in her memory. Former Massachusetts Congressional Representative Joe Kennedy, along with Venezuelan ambassador Bernardo Alvarez, and several other politicians had parked their limos up and down the street. They were eating hors d'oeuvre right by her porch. In this working class, often stigmatized area of D.C., it was an odd sight, but for Holland it was a welcome one. All this meant she would be able to get through the winter with a little less difficulty: it was the kickoff to the 3rd CITGO-Venezuela Heating Oil Program, of which Sofie was a first-time recipient.
This year now marks the CITGO-Venezuela Heating Oil Program's 8th anniversary. You may be familiar with the non-profit Citizens Energy Corporation through its television advertisements. They feature founder and president of the corporation Joe Kennedy urging people in need to call 1-800-Joe-4-Oil for a one time delivery of 100 gallons of home heating oil.
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http://abcnews.go.com/ABC_Univision/News/strange-bedfellows-venezuela-low-income-americans-warm/story?id=18650347