It’s been pretty cold outside this week. But in the coming days it’s going to be much colder, down to zero or lower. Everybody is going to need to stay warm. For some of us, that means throwing more wood in the stove, keeping the heat turned on at night, using more of that precious fuel oil.

But for others, the bitterly cold weather presents a crisis: they lack the money to get the fuel needed to stay warm. For them, the alternatives of wrapping up in old coats or shivering under blankets are weary, incomplete answers. And our government is not helping them out. In fact, a federal program that provides aid to low-income families is being trimmed even more this winter because of the sequester cuts approved by Congress and White House nearly five years ago. That federal program generated $5.1 billion for distribution to the needy four years ago. This year, the funding has dropped to $2.83 billion.

In New Hampshire, according to The Telegraph of Nashua, low-income families received $51 million in aid in 2008-2009. This year those assistance levels will drop below $24 million. That hurts. That means many people will be colder this winter. And adding to the misery is the estimate that home heating costs this winter will rise by nearly 6 per cent. The bottom line: cold and costly, and very troubling for those among us who won’t be getting some of the help they need.

The good news: you and I can help. We can find the organizations in our communities that help families in need and support them generously. And we can let our representatives in Congress that federal heating aid needs to be restored. Anything less is not right. We can help, and we need to get started now.