When Amanda Russell learned that her furnace was 40 years old and hampering her health, she knew it was time for an upgrade. She has cerebral palsy and due to her autoimmune disease, she needs a stable environment – if it gets too cold or too hot, it can be dangerous! The cost-effective solution was at hand: an air-source heat pump system that will both warm and cool her home with superior cost savings. Snug Planet audited her home in Spencer, NY, and according to Amanda “they went above and beyond for her!” They connected her with the Climate Fund and our new HeatSmart funding so she could afford the new system on a tight budget. Amanda received our 31st Climate Fund grant for $1,772 plus our first LMI HeatSmart grant for $2,000 for a total of $3,722 toward the costs of her new home heating system. Since her mom passed away recently, she has suffered an increased financial and emotional burden living alone in the house they’d purchased together in 2017. Amanda, her kitten Wooly Bear, and poodle mix Little One, are all excited to benefit from the awesome health benefits, immensely reduced energy bills, and positive climate impact of switching to clean energy with heat pumps!