SEF Blog

ALLENTOWN, PA., August 17, 2017 – Sustainable Energy Fund (SEF) is proud to announce New Bethany Ministries and Lehigh County Humane Society as the winners of the 2017 Nonprofit Energy Makeover Contest. These two winners will be awarded a major energy efficiency building retrofit at no cost to them. The main goal of the Makeover Contest is to promote energy efficiency and assist energy users in overcoming educational and financial barriers to a sustainable energy future.

Sustainable Energy Fund received over 40 applications for the contest. The two winning nonprofits, chosen for their inefficient buildings and for the good they do for the community, will produce dramatic energy savings after the building retrofits are completed this fall. The money saved from high electric bills can instead be directed towards furthering the nonprofits’ missions. While the contest was originally designed to have just one winner, Sustainable Energy Fund and its Board of Directors decided to award both organizations with retrofits.

New Bethany Ministries is an interfaith, non-profit organization with its main location in Southside Bethlehem. The mission of the organization is to provide opportunities for a secure future to the hungry, homeless, poor, and mentally ill of the Lehigh Valley.

“For several years we have been talking about the need to reduce energy use and costs.  We also wanted to be sure that our residents and guests are in well-maintained, properly temperature controlled, clean facilities,” said Diane Elliott, Executive Director of New Bethany Ministries. “We are so excited to receive this grant and be given the opportunity to provide these things to our folks.  We will put the savings we realize into our programs that provide our homeless, poor, hungry and mentally ill guests and residents the best chance of improving their quality of life. Words hardly express what this means to those we serve.”

Lehigh County Humane Society is a lifesaving animal shelter in Allentown which reunites lost pets with their owners, adopts out homeless pets, rescues and provides care for abused pets, investigates animal cruelty, and so much more. Executive Director of the Lehigh County Humane Society said “We are extremely excited and blessed to have been chosen as one of the Energy Makeover winners. The thought of being able to improve the facility and lower our future operating costs is a tremendous benefit. This whole experience has been enlightening and we are very grateful. While we are not a Leeds Platinum contender, we certainly are taking the right steps for a better, cleaner world.”  

Sustainable Energy Fund will begin the energy efficiency building retrofits starting in September, after level three audits are conducted and detailed plans are set in place. Sustainable Energy Fund will be reaching out to the community and to local companies to get involved with the upgrades. To learn more about the makeover or if you are interested in assisting with the upgrades, please call the Sustainable Energy Fund office at 610-264-4440.

About Sustainable Energy Fund

Sustainable Energy Fund (SEF), a nonprofit organization, assists energy users in overcoming financial, educational and regulatory barriers to a sustainable energy future. SEF provides a variety of services including financing energy conservation, energy efficiency and renewable energy projects; educating the leaders of today and tomorrow to create a passion for sustainable energy; and representing the interests of energy conservation, energy efficiency and renewable energy in proceedings before the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission.