Saturday, September 24 the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), sponsored by the Fairfield Volunteer Center (FVC), organized a weatherization project where more than 80 volunteers from various parts of the community came together to weatherize 11 homes of eligible Fairfield residents.
The RSVP Weatherization Program is funded by several grants and numerous in-kind donations from throughout the Fairfield community. Scott Timm, Fairfield’s Sustainability Coordinator, facilitated a training session prior to event day to ensure project participants had the basic skills needed to complete project tasks.
Volunteers worked in teams with experienced RSVP captains leading the way and teaching new skills to community members and students. Basic steps like caulking around outdoor window casings, installing weather stripping around doors, filling cracks in the foundation with expandable foam, wrapping water heaters and applying plastic film to windows can make a big impact on the efficient energy usage of a home, thereby reducing heating costs over the winter.
According to Molly Reiff, Director of the Fairfield Volunteer Center, “new skills gained by volunteers can be applied to their own homes creating a ripple effect that reaches further than just the primary homes weatherized on Saturday,”.
Following the weatherization efforts, the volunteers gathered together for a luncheon at the First Christian Church to celebrate the successes and share experiences of the day. JoBeth Lewer, Fairfield’s RSVP Director said, “Fairfield is fortunate to have an ongoing RSVP Weatherization Program established in our community that connects a diverse group of volunteers benefitting our local residents”.
We will be following up with homeowners to quantify actual savings and will report back here when that info is available. We thank all involved…we couldn’t do it without you!
To lower utility bills and a more comfortable winter!
Tags: 1110news, RSVP, volunteers, weatherization