Matt and Tori Gerding have a lot on their plates. Along with raising two small children, each of them is navigating a business through an industry upended by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We’re both as busy as ever with work – everything we do takes so much more planning and work than it ever has before,” said Matt. “We just take life one day at a time, stay as focused as possible and try to extend each other a lot of grace. And our kids help ground us and remind us every day what is truly important in life, so I’m thankful for that perspective.”
Now in its 7th year, Flannel Fest has become an annual celebration of local, regional and national Americana music benefitting the Keep Wisconsin Warm/Cool Fund (KWW/CF). Due to the Covid-19 pandemic of 2020, most live music events have had to postpone until 2021, or they have created virtual events on the internet. Flannel Fest 2020 did the latter, with a successful online and virtual Facebook Live music event held on November 21 that raised over $15,000 for KWW/CF thanks to a 2 to 1 match challenge. While the event was free for anyone to attend, donations were strongly encouraged via virtual tip jars.
In early 2020, Energy Services Inc. (ESI)/ Keep Wisconsin Warm/Cool Fund (KWW/CF) opened an expanded Customer Care Center in Madison, Wi. The expanded space allows us to continue to be the primary place to turn for individuals that struggle to keep the heat and power on in crisis.
ESI was created in 1982 as a result of the ESI was created in 1982 as a result of the unfortunate hypothermia deaths of two seniors during a harsh Wisconsin winter, followed by another death in Dane County of a fragile elderly person from heatstroke during the summer.
Customer Care Specialists at the expanded Customer Care Center for ESI and KWW/CF take 1000’s of calls each day from those in need.
With so many longstanding worthwhile charities out there, Keep Wisconsin Warm/Cool Fund and Heat and Housing for Heroes are emerging because of the growing grassroots support from Wisconsinites.
“Wisconsinites have really decided to make Keep Wisconsin Warm/Cool Fund and Heat and Housing for Heroes their charity of choice. What’s been absolutely amazing with our donors, both big and small, is their level of loyalty and commitment. Clearly, they lead the nation not only with their generosity but also their personal involvement at our special events or helping to identify those in their community with unmet needs,” says Energy Services, Inc. Executive Director Tim Bruer. “There are those that have faithfully contributed to the fund on a monthly basis. We’re seeing our larger donors not only continuing to support the funds but we’re also seeing the amount of those donated dollars continues to increase.”
Every year, thousands of Wisconsin’s most vulnerable residents are faced with disconnection because of the high cost of energy. For decades, Keep Wisconsin Warm/Cool Fund has been able to provide that bridge for the gap between rising energy costs and what struggling households are legitimately able to pay towards their heat and power. KWW/CF has always been the go-to agency for people when they have no place else to turn to.
“People hit hardest are the working poor with children, the elderly and disabled,” says Energy Services, Inc. Executive Director and Keep Wisconsin Warm/Cool Fund and Heat and Housing for Heroes Founder Tim Bruer. “It’s not uncommon for us to be working with veterans with service-related disabilities who have high energy costs.”
While housing and food costs have increased over the years, energy costs have increased at an even higher rate.
