BGE HOME and Constellation Home Offer Gift of Warmth to Families In Need

Four families received a warm and cozy start to the new year with a new high-efficiency heating and cooling system from Constellation Home, BGE HOME and three United Way agencies. 

For Baltimore resident Mike Lawson and his family, the gift could not have come at a better time. 

“We were asking how we were going to keep ourselves warm, how we were going to keep the pipes from freezing,” Lawson said. 

Through “A Gift of Warmth,” Constellation Home and BGE HOME teamed up with United Way of Central Maryland, United Way of Frederick County and United Way of York County to select families who were nominated by fellow members of their communities. The winners were located in Baltimore, Millersville, and Thurmont, Md., and Hanover, Pa. The heating and cooling systems were donated by Trane, Carrier and Slant/Fin.

BGE HOME is a Constellation Home company that provides energy-efficient HVAC systems, water heaters, electrical services and other home improvement services.  The company also assists with heating-related calls to the 2-1-1 Maryland United Way Helpline, which provides unique community information referral services to people in need of food, shelter, job resources, health care, child care and other vital services.

BGE HOME provided heating repairs to 12 families in need, and supplied two new heating systems and one new water heater to 2-1-1 Helpline callers in December, including Patronella Patterson of Baltimore who received a new heating system after technicians found her old system had a dangerous carbon monoxide leak. 

“All I could say was, ‘Lord, I thank you,'” Patterson said. “It was a blessing; it was really a blessing.” 

[VIDEO: Watch Patterson react to receiving her new heating system]

BGE HOME and Constellation Home are privileged to be able to provide a comfortable living environment for deserving members of our community through the ‘A Gift of Warmth’ program, said Kevin Klages, president, BGE HOME.

“A lack of reliable heating is a frightening reality during the winter months, and we are glad to be able to ease that worry for a few local families,” he said.

The 2-1-1 Maryland United Way Helpline is one of four 2-1-1 call centers in Maryland, and is available 24/7 in 150 languages. Anyone can dial 2-1-1 for free, confidential help.

“We believe that safe, affordable housing is a basic human need, essential to keeping families stable,” said Mark Furst, president and CEO of United Way of Central Maryland. “Thanks to BGE HOME’s ‘A Gift of Warmth’ program, we are able to help ensure that even more families remain safe and warm this winter, and are grateful for BGE HOME’s generosity and extraordinary commitment to our mission.”