Troubles starting fetchmail from init scripts

[Jonathan Ryshpan]

I have a little script to start fetchmail, which is activated in
rc.local.  It runs perfectly when started from a root login; but it
fails when started from rc.local.

Here is the info:
=========================== Scripts Start ===========================
        $ more rc.local fetchmail-start 
        ::::::::::::::
        rc.local
        ::::::::::::::
        #!/bin/sh
        #
        # This script will be executed *after* all the other init scripts.
        # You can put your own initialization stuff in here if you don't
        # want to do the full Sys V style init stuff.
        
        # Fork a script that will start fetchmail for jonrysh in a few seconds
        /etc/rc.d/fetchmail-start
        
        touch /var/lock/subsys/local
        ::::::::::::::
        fetchmail-start
        ::::::::::::::
        #!/bin/sh
        #
        # Start fetchmail for jonrysh
        
        su jonrysh -c 'sleep 5; fetchmail'
        
=========================== Messages Start ===========================
Fetchmail emits the following error message and fails:
        fetchmail: open: /home/jonrysh/.fetchmailrc: Permission denied

What's happening?  How can it be fixed?

Thanks - jon