This spring, the Fuel Fund of Maryland proudly marks 45 years of providing utility assistance grants to Maryland households. Since our founding in 1981, we have helped keep hundreds of thousands of families connected.
As we celebrate this milestone on April 1, 2026, we reflect on how our work began, the lives it has touched across Maryland, and the commitment that continues to guide us forward.
Our Story Began in a Time of Crisis
The Fuel Fund was incorporated in 1981 as the Fuel Fund of Central Maryland, born out of the nation’s first major energy and utility crisis. During the late 1970s oil embargo, utility prices soared while energy supplies tightened. For many Maryland households, especially those living on fixed or limited incomes, the rising cost of heat and electricity became unbearable.
Families were forced to make impossible choices between keeping the heat on, buying food, or affording medication.
In Baltimore, that crisis became heartbreakingly real.
When an older adult couple in Baltimore City froze to death in their home after losing heat, Victorine Q. Adams, a Baltimore City Councilwoman and nationally respected civil rights activist, was moved to action. She vowed that such a tragedy would never happen again under her watch and helped give life to what would become the Fuel Fund.
Victorine Q. Adams, founder of the Fuel Fund of Maryland
“No one should suffer or lose their life because they cannot afford to keep the heat on.” — Victorine Q. Adams
A Vision That Sparked a National Model for Utility Assistance
Victorine Q. Adams’ leadership did more than create a single nonprofit, it helped inspire a national fuel fund model focused on prevention, and emergency utility assistance.
Today, fuel funds across the country carry forward her vision by helping households avoid utility shutoffs and remain safely housed.
As the energy landscape changed and deregulation reshaped the electric utility industry, the organization became the Fuel Fund of Maryland. While our name evolved, our mission never did.
Our focus has remained clear for 45 years: helping BGE households stay connected through a utility assistance grant when they have been disconnected or face an imminent shutoff.
How the Fuel Fund of Maryland Provides Utility Assistance
The Fuel Fund of Maryland operates a partnership‑based utility assistance grant model designed to support, not replace, household responsibility.
The Fuel Fund provides a financial grant, along with applicable BGE utility credits
The balance is brought to zero, restoring service and providing a true fresh start
To ensure households access all available help paying utility bills in Maryland, we also refer applicants to the Maryland Office of Home Energy Programs (OHEP), which administers government‑funded utility assistance.
When those programs are not enough, the Fuel Fund of Maryland fills the gap, ensuring households remain connected.
45 Years Later: Utility Assistance Still Matters
Forty‑five years after our founding, the need for utility assistance in Maryland remains urgent. Rising utility costs, medical emergencies, job disruptions, an aging population, extreme weather, and economic uncertainty continue to challenge households in our community.
“This anniversary is not just about looking back; it is about recommitting ourselves to the work ahead. The Fuel Fund exists so households can stay connected, because necessity knows no season.” — Debbie Brown, Executive Director (on the right, sitting with donor)
Join Us in Celebrating 45 Years of Impact
As we mark this milestone, we honor:
The vision of Victorine Q. Adams
The resilience of Maryland households we serve
The donors and community partners who make this work possible
Throughout 2026, we will be sharing stories and milestones that reflect 45 years of utility assistance and community impact in Maryland.
Help us continue keeping Maryland households connected for generations to come
Everything we do at the Fuel Fund of Maryland is made possible by our dedicated staff, Board of Directors and by YOU, our generous donors. As a woman leading this organization since 2020, I am deeply honored to carry forward Victorine Adams’ vision and to steward an organization with such a remarkable history and a community that believes so strongly in this mission.
