Volunteers Needed to Help Wake County Residents Heat Their Homes This Winter

November 6, 2020

As freezing temperatures near and nights turn chilly, many of us will be cranking up the heat in our homes. For some in our community, however, funds for heating bills are scarce, and they will be struggling to keep their households warm.

Wake County’s Warmth for Wake program is ready to help, but it needs support from the community to successfully keep homes heated this winter.

“We know some residents are feeling the financial impacts of COVID-19 and have already stretched their limited funds as far as they can go,” said Wake County Commissioner Jessica Holmes. “That’s why we’re stepping in to provide relief, but we can’t do it alone. We need volunteers and donations from the community to help fuel this effort.”

The Warmth for Wake program provides free firewood or space heaters to households who can’t afford to pay for heat or lack heating sources. Volunteers can donate, chop or deliver firewood to those in need. The program also accepts donations of new or gently used space heaters to help bring warmth to cold residents.

Lower income households often rely on space heaters or fireplaces to help offset heating costs. Many of the recipients of Warmth for Wake are elderly, disabled or on a fixed income that prevents them from buying these items on their own.

Each year, more than 300 cords of wood are delivered and close to 100 households receive space heaters from this program. The need could be greater this year due to financial hardships brought on by COVID-19. Warmth for Wake runs from October to March but has the greatest need for volunteers and donations between November and January.

Before firewood can be distributed, it needs to be cut and organized for delivery by volunteers at the City of Raleigh waste yard. Procedures will be in place this year to facilitate social distancing and safety measures for those participating.

Those who wish to donate wood to be used as firewood should contact Warmth for Wake prior to delivery to receive a permission slip. Staff are currently accepting limited donations. Additionally, in-kind donations of chain saws, axes, mauls, splitters and wheelbarrows are accepted.

The dates donated firewood will be delivered to residents in 2020-2021 are: