Blog

Oct 24, 2024

Draft stoppers to LED bulbs get stuffed into energy-saving kits for residents to grab Thursday | The Spokesman-Review

McKinstry employee Sara Hofstee gave the go-ahead Wednesday to start a whirlwind line-up of 65 volunteers stuffing energy-saving items into 600 orange bags to distribute to people to button-up their

McKinstry employee Sara Hofstee gave the go-ahead Wednesday to start a whirlwind line-up of 65 volunteers stuffing energy-saving items into 600 orange bags to distribute to people to button-up their homes this winter.

They went single-file to eight stations in the Catalyst Building, where fellow employees of the Seattle-based construction and energy services company, along with those from SNAP, built the kits for Thursday’s free distribution to Spokane residents.

In less than 40 minutes, the bags had multiple items to save on energy costs and keep homes warmer this winter. The bags are set to go to people arriving for a drive-thru event 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, outside the Catalyst, at 601 E. Riverside Ave., while supplies last.

Speaking to volunteers, Hofstee shared that she once was among those families benefiting from the energy-saving items given out by SNAP, a Spokane-area community action agency that runs programs from housing assistance to financial education.

“When I first was involved in the SNAP energy kits for McKinstry, it touched me because multiple times throughout my life during my single-mom spurts, I had a hard time,” said Hofstee, a McKinstry senior business operations analyst. She now leads the kit assembly project each year through McKinstry’s “Building Good” program.

“SNAP delivered multiple energy-saving kits to me to help with my windows, weather stripping, draft stoppers, night lights, things like that when I genuinely could not afford anything,” she said. The plastic film placed on windows made the most difference to help make her home feel warmer, and the LED light bulbs lasted longer.

“I know there are many other folks here who have also gone through that, and SNAP has helped them, so this is something that kind of hits close to home for us.”

Each bag held a fabric door stopper, LED light bulbs, nightlight, a battery-backed light bulb if power is lost, window film covering, a light bulb that automatically turns off in daytime, and weather strip for doors and windows. Handout papers were included, explaining materials and about SNAP’s weatherization services for low-income households such as air-sealing for homes and adding insulation.

Shelly Russell works as a community giving officer for Treehouse, a nonprofit that provides foster youths with academic support. She volunteered because Treehouse and McKinstry often partner, such as on fundraisers. The kit project is worthwhile, she said.

“I’m a lifelong Spokane resident, so I know how much these bags mean to families,” she said. “There are lots of single-parent families, and times are hard right now.”

McKinstry’s Sarah Burruss has volunteered for the project for four years.

“It’s important because it’s helping people make their lives better, their bills more affordable and their homes warmer,” she said.

Pat Donahue was there, but he works for Spokane Public Schools as an Engage In Real Life program navigator. He also is a board member for Treehouse.

“I heard about this through Treehouse and our partnership with them. What a great opportunity to help support the community,” he said.

The program started about four years ago. McKinstry volunteers used to deliver the weatherization kits to Spokane neighborhoods, Hofstee said. This year, the project’s leaders decided to try the drive-thru to reach more people .

“We really wanted more face-time with the community,” Hofstee said. “We want to see if there is anything else that they need help with, such as can we connect you with SNAP or some other assistance?

“We’ll give them their kits and visit if we can and make it more of a memorable connection instead of just dropping them off on their doorstep.”

SNAP’s Michelle Howard said the agency gives out thousands of the kits a year from its offices or based upon requests. On Tuesday, a Trent Elementary employee asked for 100 kits to give to school families, and the bags were dropped off that day.

Howard said Avista Corp. pays for all the items in the kits each year. McKinstry is the largest local organization helping build them, and they are otherwise assembled by SNAP employees.

“This is the fourth year for the service with McKinstry, and in the first year it was during COVID, so we had tables in neighborhoods and small markets outside,” said Howard, who is SNAP’s energy efficiency weatherization materials manager.

“After that, we targeted mobile home parks in the county last year and a full neighborhood basically at Francis and Market and surrounding blocks of that area. This year we’re going to try a drive-thru, so a little bit like the mobile markets of Second Harvest, and people can just drive through and we’ll hand them a kit.”

However, they’re also available by request at any SNAP location, she said.

Kelsey Solberg, Avista senior energy program manager, helps oversee the utility’s low-income bill assistance program. Avista works with seven community action agencies in its Washington service territory to fund the purchase of items for energy-savings kits.

“This program is part of a larger low-income bill assistance program,” Solberg said.

“Avista provides funding for the kits for two main reasons: one is reducing the energy-cost burdens of our customers, and then two is providing education and resources to reduce their energy usage. This program falls more on that second one, and SNAP is a really good partner to do that and reach our customers.”

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are not tax deductible, but are predominately used to help meet the local financial requirements needed to receive national matching-grant funds.

Get breaking news delivered to your inbox as it happens.