Since 2010, the Lennox® Heat U.P. Program has been partnering with communities to install free furnaces for deserving families. This year, 175 families received a free furnace, and gained peace of mind from knowing that their friends, neighbors and Lennox care about their comfort and well-being.
The Lennox Heat U.P. Program was started in Wisconsin in 2010 by 82 compassionate Lennox Dealers who wanted to give back to their communities. Seven years later, the program is still going strong and has expanded to include 164 dealers across eight states. The program invites local organizations to nominate deserving families or individuals in their community who would benefit from a new furnace installation prior to the winter weather setting in.
The criteria for a nomination to the Heat U.P. program includes:
- Families/individuals with some type of hardship or challenge
- Families/individuals with military service
- Families/individuals involved in their community
Since its inception, Heat U.P. Wisconsin has installed more than 500 furnaces, providing more than $2.2 million in support to recipients throughout Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula. For the founders of the program, being able to impact so many people's lives has been extremely rewarding.
"The Heat U.P. Program gives us an opportunity to take the expertise we have in the HVAC field and give it back to the community. Since 2010, we've been working as neighbors helping neighbors, and introducing the program this year into four provinces in Canada and growing to eight U.S. states is so powerful," said Dave Chatmon, a Lennox district manager and the program's founder.
Heat U.P. Wisconsin: One Family's Story
For recipients of the Heat U.P. Program, a new furnace can turn a bleak winter into one filled with comfort and joy. Take, for example, the story of Tony Gallagher.
An Air Force veteran and single father of four, Tony was faced with significant financial challenges when his furnace stopped working. On top of house and car payments, Tony was also saving up for his wedding and wondering how to afford a new furnace, with winter approaching.
A knock on the door from Heat U.P. Wisconsin was the welcome answer he so desperately needed. A fellow military family nominated the Gallaghers to receive the gift of home comfort, as one of 175 families across the U.S. and Canada selected to receive a free Lennox furnace.
According to the Lennox dealer who delivered the good news—and the heat—the Gallagher family's furnace could have presented a danger due to a leak in the system. But, with their new furnace, they will be able to enjoy energy-efficient and reliable comfort for years to come.
A growing movement of warmth and kindness
This year, the Heat U.P. Program was expanded to Colorado and Kansas in the U.S. for the first time, as well to Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan in Canada. Lennox Dealers in these markets joined existing participating Lennox Dealers in Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin to round out the 2017 program. As a partnership of corporate philanthropy and community assistance, the Heat U.P. Program is something that Lennox hopes to continue to grow in the future, so many more deserving people can experience Lennox comfort— and compassion.
"Lennox dealers are committed to helping people live their healthiest lives and I'm inspired by the progress the Heat U.P. Program made this year," said Quan Nguyen, general manager of Lennox Industries. "It's a testament to the character of our dealers, and I look forward to expanding the reach of our program to more communities in the years to come and to making a positive impact on many more families."
