##PRESS RELEASE##
For Immediate Release
Purcellville, VA
The Local Energy Alliance Program (LEAP) and Dominion Energy have collaborated with Tree of Life Ministries (TOL) to increase comfort and reduce the energy burden of women participating in their transitional housing program. The women and their children living in the apartments provided to them by Tree of Life Ministries previously suffered from domestic abuse or another crisis.
The transitional apartments have been made more comfortable and energy efficient by receiving nearly 15 inches of attic insulation. LEAP utilized funding provided through Dominion Energy’s EnergyShare program to add the insulation.
To showcase the collaboration, Tree of Life Ministries, Dominion Energy, and LEAP facilitated a short demonstration today in order to speak with technical staff and review the project. Attendees included representatives from Dominion Energy, Northern Virginia Regional Commission, Town of Purcellville staff, nonprofit leaders, and community members.
Kristen Hickman, Chief Communications Officer for TOL, appreciates the collaboration, commenting, “We are grateful to take part in this important program which benefits our housing partners and furthers our mission of reaching out to the poor and needy in our community with the love of Jesus Christ. We extend practical help across a framework of five branches – Food, Lifeskills, Shelter, Healthcare, and Relief – with the objective of offering a ‘hand up’ rather than merely a ‘hand out.’ Realizing utility cost savings as a result of these energy-efficient measures will be a blessing for all involved.”
Dominion Energy is a reliable partner of LEAP’s through their EnergyShare program, and is happy to contribute to this particular project. “We are proud to support our partners with the resources they need to help those in their community,” said Tonya Byrd, Community Engagement Policy Manager for Dominion Energy. “Everyone should be able to afford to heat and cool their home for both comfort and health. We are grateful to LEAP and our partners for helping meet this need through our EnergyShare program.”
The staff at LEAP work closely with the Northern Virginia Regional Commission to spread awareness about our programming, and hope this event encourages more residents in the area to reach out. “Working together with LEAP, our utility partners at Dominion Energy, and others, more than 8,700 families have had their homes improved from an energy-efficiency standpoint,” said Robert Lazaro, Executive Director of the Northern Virginia Regional Commission. “These energy-efficiency programs are available to many residents in our region and I am grateful to the Tree of Life not only for participating in this effort, but also for the myriad ministries and services they offer to local residents.”
LEAP’s Executive Director, Chris Meyer, is thrilled to have been able to make this work happen, saying, “LEAP feels privileged to be able to collaborate with Tree of Life Ministries to help the women in this transitional housing situation. I can’t imagine the challenges they’re going through, and helping them to have a more comfortable living space and save energy is work our team gets excited about.”
All of the stakeholders involved in this project look forward to continuing their work together to bring comfort and savings to more Northern Virginia residents in the future.
Key Project Stats:
- Number of Transitional Apartments Retrofitted with Insulation: 5
- Estimated Resulting Electricity Savings per Apartment: 400-600 kWh per year
- Total Approximate Dominion EnergyShare Program Rebates Utilized: $5,000
Residents can sign up for LEAP services at their home here: bit.ly/LEAP-Purcellville-Sign-Up
CONTACT:
Kristen Hickman, Chief Communications Officer, Tree of Life Ministries, khickman@tolministries.org, 540.441.7920
Peggy Fox, Media & Community Relations Manager, Northern Virginia, Dominion Energy, Peggy.R.Fox@dominionenergy.com, 703.463.8946
Chris Meyer, Executive Director, Local Energy Alliance Program, chris@leap-va.org, 434.409.0097
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The Local Energy Alliance Program (LEAP) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered in Charlottesville, VA. As a trusted nonprofit, LEAP delivers direct education and services for improved energy performance that address climate change; create cost savings for families and businesses; enable healthier, safer, and more durable buildings; and bolster local jobs and economic growth.
Website: leap-va.org
Email: info@leap-va.org
Facebook: Local Energy Alliance Program (LEAP)
Twitter: @LEAP_VA
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