The high cost of oil and the economy made this past winter particularly harsh for area residents. Many had to reach out for help and a group of their fellow community members answered their call.

On June 26, Community Teamwork Inc. will honor those who have helped, during the Seventh Annual Leadership Breakfast from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the Holiday Inn Grand Ballroom in Tewksbury.

The organization will honor several physicians from Saints Memorial Medical Center in Lowell, who raised more than $9,000 for families who couldn't afford oil last winter, said Sharon Shelton, CTI's community relations coordinator.

Maurice Cohen, president of WCAP radio in Lowell, will be honored for allowing human service groups to use his station to spread their messages, Shelton said.

Two businessmen, Nicholas Macheras, president of Macheras Oil Service in Pelham, N.H., and Leo Vezina, president of Lucky Burner Services in Dracut, will also be recognized for working closely with CTI.

The Leadership Breakfast will also honor Congressman Marty Meehan for being an advocate for low-income residents, said Mike McDonough, associate executive director of CTI's Division of Property and Energy Services.

"Marty Meehan has been instrumental in making sure the money keeps flowing from Washington," said Bill Lipchitz, the deputy executive director of CTI's Division of Property and Energy Services.

The breakfast falls on the 30th anniversary of CTI's Energy Programs, which provide thousands of area households involved in the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) with fuel subsidies.

McDonough said the organization had about 11,000 applicants for LIHEAP this winter; 4,500 from Lowell.

"This is probably the worst year in a long time because of the high cost of oil and the economy," McDonough said.

McDonough told the story of one man who struggled to pay for heat after a job-related injury led to unemployment, a series of surgeries and resulting rehabilitation.

He was turned down for assistance everywhere he went and his gas was shut off, McDonough said.

CTI found out he was eligible for assistance, provided him with gas, replaced his heating system and insulated his home.

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