Project "Heat's On" helps homeowners in need stay warm

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Pipefitters from throughout the Twin Cities made 100 house calls Saturday but didn't earn a single dollar. 

Instead, union pipefitters from Minneapolis and St. Paul volunteered their time to give free furnace repairs and inspections to senior, low-income and disabled homeowners throughout the metro. 

"Every year, we get volunteers to basically go out and fix grandma's furnace," said Tony Poole, Business Manager at St. Paul Local Pipefitters 455. "We're just trying to give back to the community, make sure people people's furnaces and their boilers are going in their homes, so they're going for the winter."

Starting in 1986, Heat's On community service program has seen volunteers provide more than 37,000 hours of skilled labor, helping more than 8,000 homeowners in the process. It's estimated the program has saved the homeowners a combined $3.8 million. 

"It's just something thoughtful to have for everybody," said First Year Apprentice Avery Peterson.  "Just giving back is something that not a lot of people can have the opportunity to do. This is something in our trade where we can give back to the most, that some people don't have the opportunity to pay for or get a chance to do it."

Volunteers also work to test smoke detectors in each home. While it's a valuable service, they say what they provide is something that can't be measured in money. 

"Sometimes it's not just looking at the furnace or the boiler at people's houses," said Russ Scherber of Local 539. "You're going there to be a friendly face for the person. They don't get a lot of visitors too, so you're doing that."