13th Annual Team Heat event with Peoples Gas
Approximately 100 employee and student volunteers participated in Peoples Gas’ 13th annual Team H.E.A.T. to help prepare seniors’ homes for winter
CHICAGO – A dozen seniors’ homes in several Chicago neighborhoods on the west side were weatherized during the 13th annual Team H.E.A.T. (Home Energy Assistance Together) volunteer day. Housing Opportunities and Maintenance for the Elderly (H.O.M.E.) and Peoples Gas teamed up to ensure the homes were ready for winter.
“Although we are having a very mild fall, cold temperatures will soon be here,” said Andy Hesselbach, vice president – construction, Peoples Gas. “Because preparing homes for winter is a huge undertaking, especially for seniors, we created Team H.E.A.T. to do our part to help.”
Nearly 100 Peoples Gas employees and Chicago Public Schools students from Taft, Morgan Park and Curie high schools worked in teams to caulk door and window frames, add weather stripping around doors and apply plastic sheeting over windows to seal out drafts in seniors’ homes.
The Peoples Gas energy efficiency outreach team provided a free energy audit of the homes and installed free energy-saving products including programmable thermostats, faucet aerators, showerheads, pipe insulation and CFL light bulbs. Homeowners also were given carbon monoxide detectors and tips to help them save and manage their energy costs year-round.
“Over the past several years, Team H.E.A.T. and H.O.M.E have partnered to help low-income senior homeowners stay a little warmer,” said Mike Laz, operations and volunteer coordinator – H.O.M.E. “The hard work, devotion and compassion shown by the volunteers from Peoples Gas make the day great. I can mark it on my volunteer calendar every year as a successful event.”
Since its inception in 2004, Team H.E.A.T. has partnered with a number of nonprofit organizations to weatherize more than 500 homes for seniors and low-income residents in neighborhoods throughout Chicago and the North Shore suburbs.
H.O.M.E. has served local low-income seniors for over 30 years. It is committed to improving the quality of life for Chicago’s elderly and helping them remain independent.
Peoples Gas, a subsidiary of WEC Energy Group (NYSE: WEC), is a regulated natural gas delivery company that serves approximately 831,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in the city of Chicago. This year, Peoples Gas is celebrating 165 years of delivering safe and reliable natural gas service. You can find more information about natural gas safety, energy efficiency and other energy-related topics at peoplesgasdelivery.com.
From its grassroots origins, H.O.M.E. has provided services and caring support for Chicago’s underserved low-income senior citizens for 30 years. H.O.M.E. is committed to helping seniors maintain independent and enriched lives within their communities. The services H.O.M.E. provides include affordable intergenerational housing where seniors live among families, staff and student assistants, a home upkeep and repair service and a shopping bus. H.O.M.E.’s moving program offers seniors support and assistance through one of life’s most stressful events – moving from one home to another. H.O.M.E. serves seniors in a warm and caring manner by focusing on the whole person, not just the immediate problems he or she needs solved. For more information about H.O.M.E., please call 773-921-3200 or visit www.homeseniors.org to donate.