HANCOCK - Temperatures this summer have been cooler than usual, but winter will soon be here, and two local service agencies are getting ready to assist people who may need help paying for heat.
Mike Aten, executive director of Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly in Hancock, said that the organization and its partner, St. Vincent de Paul, have begun to organize for their second annual Turn on the Heat campaign, which is an effort to raise funds to help low-income people either pay for heat or get firewood for their wood-burning stoves or furnaces.
Aten said the first Turn on the Heat campaign went very well.
"Last year it was a great success," he said. "We got a lot of sponsorship. We met our goal. We raised $25,000."
The money raised last year came from the sale of Tootsie Pop suckers, individual and corporate donations and ticket sales for the Turn on the Heat concert at the Michigan Technological University Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts.
Aten said for years LBFE has provided cut wood to people who use wood heat either as their sole source of heat or to supplement other heat sources, which lowers their utility bills. St. Vincent de Paul helps people pay utility bills.
Last year, Aten said LBFE delivered 179 truckloads of wood, which equaled about 100 cords.
"We doubled the amount of wood delivered the previous year," he said.
This year, Aten said prisoners in the Houghton County correctional facility at the Houghton County Memorial Airport are working on cutting an initial 20 cords of wood.
St. Vincent de Paul helped 300 individuals or families pay their heat bills, which is something the organization has done for years, Aten said.
"It was great they had some extra money for people (because of the campaign)," he said.
Aten said the Turn on the Heat campaign will be the same this year as last year. The two organizations will again be seeking private and corporate donations. On Oct. 2 and 3, the Knights of Columbus and local high school and Finlandia University students will sell Tootsie Pops at various locations, including Walmart, Econo Foods in Houghton, Festival Foods in Houghton and Pat's Foods in Calumet, Hancock and L'Anse.
This year the Turn on the Heat campaign goal is $30,000, Aten said. The concert will take place Oct. 8 at the Rozsa Center. Bands will be announced in September. Tickets will cost $10.
Aten said despite the poor economy in Michigan and locally, the first Turn on the Heat campaign went well, and he's expecting to do well this year, mostly because of the number of people helping out.
"It's a whole community effort," he said.
To learn about donating to the Turn on the Heat campaign, call Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly at 482-6944.
Kurt Hauglie can be reached at khauglie@mininggazette.com.