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LIGHT ONE CANDLE New hot water heater is what this family needs EDITOR'S NOTE : This is one in a series of stories about people who need help during the holiday season. Winter is bad enough with the cold, damp fog and falling temperatures. But without hot water, it can be downright frigid. One Ruch family has been without hot water for more than two weeks. They aren't so much complaining about the cold, it's just that taking a bath or shower has become quite a chore since their 30-gallon, liquid propane water heater broke. With only one income, the family will have to dip into food money or put off paying some bills in order to replace the water heater. They have no extra savings. They've been boiling water to wash the dishes and take baths. The trick is filling up the bathtub quickly enough so the water stays warm. Once a week they go to their son's home to take a shower. "It's just a lot of work," said the wife and mother of the household. She and her husband are 51. They moved here from Arizona more than five years ago. They live with their two older children, who are in their 20s, in a double-wide mobile home in Ruch. Also living with them are their two grandchildren, the 6- and 7-year-old children their second son. They have been caring for their grandchildren since they were born. The dad has worked as a local cable installer for more than six years. "He's definitely an honest, hard-working person," said Danny Balko, the father's supervisor. But the family of six has a hard time making ends meet, earning between $20,000 to $22,000 a year. Anyone interested in helping the Ruch family with replacing the water heater can call Mick Johnson at the Salvation Army, 773-7335. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1998, Medford, Oregon USA