Giving back: Camping Out for Coats goes virtual; Refrigerator program to cut energy bills; Easterseals challenge raises $135,000; Minuteman franchisee aids recovery

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Operation Warm Newport: Camping Out for Coats is going virtual this year.
 
Earlier this month, organizers launched the brand new campingforcoats.com website which will host information on this program and where to donate.
 
The campout came in response to the high percentage of children at or below the poverty level in the Newport, Stanton, and Wilmington areas.

 

The Delaware KIDS Fund and Harvey, Hanna & Associates partnered with national non-profit coat manufacturer and distributor, Operation Warm

 

In 2017,  The Delaware KIDS Fund created a community-wide, challenge-based fundraising platform.

Volunteers decided to sleep outside for one night Newport.

Since the first camp in 2017, The Delaware KIDS has been able to raise enough money to purchase more than  6,000 coats for 6,000 elementary students at 12 different schools.

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Habitat refrigerator project

All three Delaware Habitat for Humanity affiliates and their ReStores in Delaware have joined forces to reduce energy consumption.

Thanks to a $500,000 empowerment grant from Energize Delaware, 450 Delmarva Power households in the state will receive new  Energy Delaware certified refrigerator for just $50, and the affiliate in their county will take away the old appliance for recycling.

Refrigerators are typically the largest energy drain in a residential household, accounting for about one-sixth of energy consumption

The statewide program will result in a savings of approximately 432,875 kilowatt hours over the 18-month grant period while delivering an average yearly savings of $127 for qualified Delmarva customers.

To qualify, homeowners or renters must:

  • Earn no more than 60% of the state’s median income
  • Be a Delmarva residential electric customer
  • Have a refrigerator manufactured before December 2013
  •  Agree to have your old unit removed by Habitat staff upon delivery of the new refrigerator.

For more information and to download the application, visit habitatncc.org/fridge.

Minuteman Press franchisee aids recovery

The Minuteman Press printing franchise in north Wilmington owned by Tom Lord, has launched a free platform called Bounce Back Wilmington to boost the business community and worked with an organization serving inner city youth.

Tom says, “March was a strong month for us in sales, but then the bottom dropped out on everyone due to Covid-19 and we knew we had a role to play. We started Bounce Back Wilmington (part of Bounce Back USA by Minuteman Press International), a free initiative to support local businesses with free listings and stimulate the local economy by having those businesses share special offers and discounts.”

He adds, “Through Bounce Back Wilmington, we are happy to offer free advertising to our area’s business owners as well as extend our expertise in marketing if they need us. Through our center, they are promoting their services online for free.” 

Tom says, “We have a small staff and kept everyone on board since day one and cross-trained them so we have self-sufficiency within our individual staff members.  One of the positive aspects of all of this is recognizing our great capabilities and making sure everyone can do any job our clients need.”

Minuteman Press in Wilmington also designed, printed, and donated signage educating residents about Covid-19 practices.

Lord worked with  Harry Shur, owner of Tennis Rocks, which helps inner-city children with physical exercise and academic growth. Covid-19 halted his connection to the kids.  “This gentleman represents the city of Wilmington tutors with a focus on diversity.  We were not going to let his progress with the kids come to a stop. He started by offering tennis, then branched out into life lessons and academic tutoring so they can go further in school.”

“Sometimes, he gets money from grants and donations and he uses this seven days a week helping kids. He’s all heart,”  Lord says.  “Through our Minuteman Press center, he has been able to survive with essential communication with his students. Covid-19 closed his business and he couldn’t operate for months, but his hard work and willingness to satisfy city and state rules would not quit. We provided all he needed from paperwork to PPE and hand sanitizer.”  That was only the beginning of the ways where Tom would use his technology and team to reopen Tennis Rocks.”

 Easterseals/CAI VolleyBACK from Covid raises over $135,000

 New Castle, DEEasterseals Delaware & Maryland’s Eastern Shore raised over $135,000 for people with disabilities and their families. 

“Our community came together to raise over $135,000 for the 2020 Easterseals/CAI VolleyBACK from COVID event. We have so many people to thank including our teams, volunteers, legislators and sponsors. Our sponsors provided tremendous support, especially our Title Sponsor CAI, who continues to generously support Easterseals especially when we needed them most,”Christine Sauers, Chair of the Easterseals/CAI Volleyball Challenge, said. “It is in these difficult times we see the true measure of those who support our mission. Together we cut through COVID literally. I could not be more proud of Easterseals as an organization and the dedicated people who support them.”

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