Venezuelan owned CITGO kicks off its fifth year of providing free heating oil to needy families in the U.S.

CITGO is partnering with Citizens Energy Corporation, a non-profit energy supplier founded by Joseph Kennedy - son of Robert F. Kennedy - to distribute heating oil to families in 25 states, including tribal nations in 15 states.

President and CEO of CITGO, Alejandro Granado, joined Joseph Kennedy and Venezuelan ambassador to the U.S.Bernardo Alvarez, in Harlem to provide the first shipment to an apartment building.

[Alejandro Granada, President & CEO, CITGO]: (Spanish)

"This demonstrates a great effort. We recognize that the circumstances call for sacrifice, but it is a sacrifice we make with love. We have been helping the poor with this since 2005. We have been helping them a little with their heat."

The program started five years ago in the aftermath of Hurricanes Rita and Katrina as a response to the demand by low-income households for assistance due to the high price of heating oil that winter.

Key U.S. political leaders sent an open letter to the petroleum industry requesting assistance in meeting the demand. CITGO was the only company to respond.

[Joseph Kennedy, President & CEO, Citizens Energy Corporation]:

"It is, at the end of the day, unmistakably, a CITGO-Venezeula engine that provides us the resources that are necessary to carry it out."

Chyresse Lopez is one the program’s beneficiaries who has received over 14 hundred gallons of oil for her apartment building for the past three winters.

[Chyresse Lopez, Heating Oil Program Beneficiary]:

“…I can't say thank you enough to CITGO, the people of Venezuela, and Citizens Energy. I can't thank them enough for allowing us to be able to continue to own our own homes and keep them warm in winters. Thank you."

New Tang Dynasty Television