Media contact: Noelle Lemoine, executive assistant; tele: (413) 597-4277; email: [email protected]
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass., October 19, 2018—Hundreds of students from Williams College, MCLA, and Bennington College will take part in the annual Winter Blitz day of weatherization on November 10. During their day of service, these volunteers will travel across northern Berkshire County and parts of southern Vermont to weatherize homes, free of charge to homeowners, for the upcoming winter.
Volunteers from the three colleges will go out in teams of five or six students to provide basic comfort measures such as installing window kits, door sweeps, hot water pipe insulation, energy-efficient light bulbs, and more. All materials are paid for by the Williams College Zilkha Center for Environmental Initiatives, and each group will be led by a trained team leader.
Weatherizing these homes will save money for the residents. Weatherization can save homeowners 25 to 40 percent on their heating and cooling bills and contributes to our global mission of reducing energy consumption.
“We’re excited to see the positive impact that this program has had on our students and our community since it began eleven years ago, said Mike Evans, assistant director at Williams’ Zilkha Center for Environmental Initiatives. “Not only does it reduce local energy consumption, but it also forms connections between students and the community.”
Homeowners who are seeking to lower their energy costs and who cannot weatherize themselves are encouraged to sign up for this free program. If you are interested in having volunteers come to your house to weatherize through Winter Blitz, please contact the 2018 Winter Blitz Planning Committee by one of three ways by November 1:
1) sign up online at http://sustainability.williams.edu/winterblitz
2) call (413) 217-4717 and leave a voicemail
3) send an email to [email protected]
The program, a collaboration this year between Williams College, Bennington College and MCLA, is accepting homes in and around Northern Berkshire County, including Williamstown, Pownal, North Adams, Adams, Bennington, and northern Lanesboro. For more information on sustainability initiatives, visit the Williams College sustainability website at http://sustainability.williams.edu
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Founded in 1793, Williams College is the second-oldest institution of higher learning in Massachusetts. The college’s 2,000 students are taught by a faculty noted for the quality of their teaching and research, and the achievement of academic goals includes active participation of students with faculty in their research. Students’ educational experience is enriched by the residential campus environment in Williamstown, Mass., which provides a host of opportunities for interaction with one another and with faculty beyond the classroom. Admission decisions on U.S. applicants are made regardless of a student’s financial ability, and the college provides grants and other assistance to meet the demonstrated needs of all who are admitted.
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Published October 19, 2018
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