Heat Smart Joins National Grid in Saluting Our Vets
- November 12, 2016
- Heat Smart
National Grid’s Northborough, MA Customer Care Outreach Team focuses on making a difference in the communities they serve. Manager Gladys Sarji, seeing the homelessness and poverty that plagues some returning veterans, knew she had to do something about it. Through a chance meeting with our own Donna Montaquila, she hit upon the perfect idea – give vets our Heat Smart kits to help keep them warm and save on their energy bills if they did get housing.
She and her team set a plan in motion to raise funds to purchase the kits for veterans in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. They held fundraising events which included a spare change campaign, selling candy, and raffling off New England Patriot game tickets. The team surpassed its original goal of $1,500 by nearly five and one-half times and raised $8100 for Heat Smart kits.
We loved the idea so much, Heat Smart added an extra hundred kits for vets in RI and MA and organized distribution. Over a two-day event on November 2nd and 3rd, we assisted in the delivery of 778 blankets through Veterans Inc. in Worcester, MA and Pawtucket, RI. National Grid President Timothy F. Horan, president, National Grid RI, was on hand with Gladys Sarji and some of her team members to help deliver the kits.
Vincent J. Perrone, President and CEO of Veterans Inc. as well as Lt. Colonel, USAF (Ret.), was excited and encouraged by the project. He said that with scarce federal funding, they don’t have enough for housing vets, never mind bedding. “You fill a gap that we cannot. You might not think it’s a big deal, but it is,” he said. “Working together like this means we can achieve so much more, and we’re very appreciative.”
Our thanks to National Grid employees for a great idea and generous fundraising. We’re happy to have a chance to help give back to our vets.
In honor of all of you this Veterans Day, we thank you for your service.