With the cost of oil hovering over $100-a-barrel and the price of natural gas rising 60 percent over the last five years, fewer Americans can afford to stay warm.

Thankfully, there are kind and generous corporate citizens who stand ready to help those in need.

This week, Springfield resident Pia Hall got a chance to publicly thank officials from a natural gas heat assistance program that has helped her keep her home comfortable and safe this winter.

We’d like to add our thanks to the Citizens Energy/Distrigas Heat Assistance program for providing $150 credit for a natural gas bill to eligible households like Hall’s. Citizens Energy Chairman Joseph P. Kennedy II and Clay Harris, chairman and CEO of Distrigas, which has donated $1 million to keep the program going, were on hand to announce the donation.

Approximately 6,000 households across the state are expected to benefit from the program. It’s heartwarming to know that corporate responsibility is still a value in the Bay State.