Press Release
CONTACT: Brian P. Cunningham
RT&E Integrated Communications
302-429-5127
WARM THE HEART TO LAUNCH THIRD ANNUAL
HOME HEATER DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM
November 14, 2007, Wilmington, Del. - The less-fortunate of New Castle County may be a bit warmer this winter thanks to Warm the Heart, a local non-profit organization that will launch its annual home furnace distribution project on Thursday, November 29. For the third winter in a row, the organization will donate and install twelve home furnace units to the neediest residents of New Castle County and the City of Wilmington. Applications and regulations for the program will be available the first week of November at over 20 Wilmington and New Castle County community center locations.
Mark Aitken and Dave Geiger, owners of Horizon Services, Inc. established the non-profit Warm the Heart organization in 2005 after experiencing first-hand the homes of families and individuals who had little or no heat. Many of these families had resorted to unsafe heating alternatives such open stoves and dangerous kerosene heaters to provide relief during the cold winter months. Aitken and Geiger saw an opportunity to help ease the pain, created a vehicle to provide assistance and enlisted the support of other companies such as Delmarva Power, Wilmington Trust, TRANE and Valero Energy. With their combined efforts, the Warm the Heart organization will have installed 39 heating units free of charge to Wilmington and New Castle County residents by the end of the 2007-2008 winter season.
"Horizon Services and all of our corporate partners are excited about this worthwhile opportunity to give back to our community," said Aitken. "We look forward to expanding the reach of the program and building on our success of the annual program."
The City of Wilmington and New Castle County will assist the Warm the Heart organization by establishing information tables and application distribution and drop-off points for the duration of the program.
"This program is one of the more innovative and productive projects to come along in quite a while that benefits the people who need help the most during the winter season," said Wilmington Mayor James M. Baker. "I join with citizens throughout Wilmington in thanking Horizon Services for going above and beyond what a private business is expected to do in demonstrating its concern for people and its dedication to helping children and families. Those of us in City government are proud to be associated with this program."
Aitken says New Castle County and the City of Wilmington's community centers have been key drop-off points for applications over the past two years. "Working with the individuals from the county and the city provides us with the built-in outreach mechanisms to reach the people most in need."
"We are proud to support such a worthy cause," said County Executive Chris Coons. "That Warm the Heart is able to come to the aid of those in need and ensure they will have a warm home this winter is truly a wonderful thing," he added.
Aitken states an independent committee to identify people in need, has been established to review the applications submitted and will assist the Warm the Heart organization with selecting those who will receive a new heater.
The 2007 version of the program will commence with a press conference on Tuesday, November 27, at 1:30 p.m. at Rose Hill Community Center, announcing the locations where applications will be available. Warm the Heart will continue to accept applications until Friday, December 14. The selection committee will make final decisions and notify recipients on or before Friday, December 21.
More information about the program is available at www.warmtheheart.org.
About Warm the Heart
Warm the Heart is a non-profit organization that provides replacement furnaces to needy families in New Castle County and the City of Wilmington who are not able to afford them on their own. Warm the Heart is designed to deliver the necessary relief to less fortunate families that might otherwise ignore the potential life threatening issues of a faulty heating system, ease the pain of increasing utility bills or replace an existing furnace due to financial concerns.
Founded by the employees of Horizon Services in 2005, Warm the Heart will purchase and install 12 new furnaces this year. The employees of Horizon Services are committed to this effort of providing for the basic needs of those less fortunate and the belief that helping our fellow man in a time of need is the right thing to do.
Warm the Heart also offers local businesses the opportunity to increase their visibility through their participation in this worthwhile community program by becoming a contributing sponsor through donations or other supportive ways.