Changing lightbulbs, changing lives
Link Energy and Falco Electrical Give Hull a Brighter Future
Lightbulbs may not be the first things that come to mind when you think of giving gifts or helping kids, but the donation of more than 2,600 of them to Hull created a bright spot for us this past year, in both the literal and figurative sense.
This generous gift from Link Energy will continue to shine on us for the next decade or so (the lifespan of the LED bulbs) by reducing our operational energy costs and, in turn, saving us close to a million dollars. That translates to more funds available for the important work we do to support the vulnerable young people and families we serve. The bulbs are also brightening up our spaces and creating a positive impact on our planet by significantly reducing our carbon footprint.
“This has been the most difficult time I’ve ever seen to run an energy business,” says Burke. “But our commitment to community is non-negotiable. It’s our brand promise and the core of our company DNA.”
Wayne Burke, Link Energy’s CEO, had a vision for a business with a triple bottom line — people, planet and profit. When Burke and Steve Shoiry cofounded Link Energy in 2016, they committed to providing clean energy while also supporting non-profit agencies through the donation of LED lighting retrofits so those savings could be used for greater good in the community. They have never wavered from that commitment, even through the tough business environment brought on by the pandemic.
“This has been the most difficult time I’ve ever seen to run an energy business,” says Burke. “But our commitment to community is non-negotiable. It’s our brand promise and the core of our company DNA.”
That commitment is even more impressive given that Link Energy’s donation to Hull is by far their biggest support of an agency to date — with a projected cost savings to Hull of $994,032. In addition to providing $50,000 worth of LED bulbs, Link Energy also provided team members to help install the lights and inspired other companies to get involved. You can read more on this page about the generous donation Falco Electrical Systems made to the project.
Link Energy chose to support Hull because our work has a mental health focus. That aligns with the values of the company that walks the talk by offering an array of mental health supports to its own employees. Burke also has a personal appreciation for child and youth mental health supports because of family members he feels would have benefitted from accessing services earlier in their lives. He speaks openly about the benefit of therapy in his own life as well.
“Most of us at Link have been in the position where we could use a helping hand, in some manner,” he says. “The most important thing we can do for a young person is support their mental health. That is high impact work. Hull is the perfect partner for us because we care so much about that.”
Hull is grateful for both the show of support and the timing of it. We often experience a surge in demand for services at the same time the economy is in decline and external factors are decreasing donations and other supports. It can also be difficult to earmark funds to update facilities when the need for programming is so urgent.
Many hands make light(s) work
How many people does it take to change a lightbulb? In the case of Hull, it takes a team of big-hearted companies coming together for the sake of kids that have suffered immense trauma and darkness in their lives.
When Link Energy contacted Hull offering to retrofit our lighting to greatly reduce our energy costs and carbon footprint, they inspired a domino effect of giving. Dan Zembal with LED Source, who had partnered with Link Energy on previous community projects, graciously agreed to do so again — giving his time for free and providing the bulbs at a discount to Link Energy, to stretch their donation even further.
“We will always support Hull,” says Gillham. “It’s such a great place. I couldn’t imagine where those kids would be without them.”
Given that much of Hull’s campus electrical infrastructure is quite old, many fixtures required rewiring and new ballasts. Link Energy had generously offered to pay for the required electricians. When we reached out to Falco Electrical Systems Ltd. (our primary electrical contractor) for a quote, they immediately offered to do the work for free, providing four full-time electricians for the project. When it was decided that lighting in Hull’s on-campus school should also be updated, Falco offered to work for free again, sending four to six electricians every day for another week.
It was an incredible gift that was unexpected but not unprecedented. Having been involved with Hull for 13 years, Falco co-owner Miles Gillham not only understands our electrical needs, but also sees how our trauma-informed work helps young people heal and thrive. Falco is constantly finding ways to support us without ever being asked — encouraging their suppliers and network to get involved with Hull; advocating and negotiating for us with the City to help lower our construction costs; replacing our switchgear to avoid the catastrophe that would occur if it went down; and doing numerous other upgrades and repairs, such as replacing a motor in a saw at no cost. They know that, by doing so, they are freeing up funds to support the direct work we do with our kids and their families.
“We will always support Hull,” says Gillham. “It’s such a great place. I couldn’t imagine where those kids would be without them.”
We feel the same way about Miles and company.
“Falco is not only a trusted supplier to Hull, they are long-term supporters, advocates and partners to us,” says Debbie Wheeler, Hull’s Community Engagement Coordinator. “They are incredibly giving and have stepped up time and time again in support of our kids.”
Because of their partnership with us, we hold hope for our kids that their futures will be much brighter than their pasts.
