Deborah Thompson’s historic home on Marshall Street in the Fall Creek neighborhood of Ithaca received a thorough energy makeover from Snug Planet. Deb received the fourth grant from the Finger Lakes Climate Fund — our first in the city and our first for a senior citizen. Snug Planet estimated that the improvements they made would eliminate about 54 tons of carbon dioxide emissions, which translated into a grant of $1,076 toward the total cost of the project.

The blower door test had revealed that this lovely old home was exceptionally leaky for its size. Insulation in the attic and side walls was scant and uneven, and the basement had all sorts of moisture problems. Over the course of several days, the “Snug” team did extensive work in insulating and sealing leaks in the attic, and addressed moisture problems, air leaks, and lack of insulation in the basement.

Deb Thompson is a well-known and beloved local community organizer and activist. Her life has been lived by the values that guide the donors to the Climate Fund, and thus everyone involved in this project has been extra pleased to see Deb get a “little help from her friends” after so many years of being there to help others. When we visited with Deb in her living room surrounded by the rich gleam of old chestnut woodwork, we imagined her safe and warm during future winter storms — thanks to the good people willing to take responsibility for protecting the climate.