Here is a great opportunity from Burlington Window Dressers, message below: 

We are working with this organization to help bring window inserts to our community in Burlington. Testing has shown that interior inserts like this are among the most effective window treatments and can cut heating bills by nearly 10%. In many cases renters pay their heating bill; we hope that this can be a simple way to reduce energy burden. It is something tenants can do without their landlord, though we hope landlords will pay for the inserts since they are custom made for specific windows that the landlord owns. For homeowners, windows are expensive to replace and this provides a cost effective option to reduce drafts and energy costs. Homeowners and renters can participate in this accessible way to take part in Burlington’s energy goals.

Window Dressers helps train volunteers and supplies tools and materials to measure and build these interior window inserts. For these inserts to be high quality, have a lifetime of 10 years, and be affordable (typically $40 a piece) volunteers are needed to assist with the labor. Window Dressers pre-cuts the frames which are assembled by volunteers during a once-a-year Community Build that lasts several days. Therefore, this organization brings people together within their community to help increase winter comfort and reduce energy use. 

For this year’s community build we aim to build 150-200 inserts and that 30-35% of those inserts should be for low-income households who cannot afford to buy them. This is a volunteer lead effort so to provide inserts for free to low-income households we need to fundraise to offset the cost of the materials. 

We need volunteers to help measure during September-October and with organizing the community build November 11-15th. Volunteers can connect with us at (802) 868-1694 or burlingtonwindowdressers@gmail.com to assist with window measurements and sign up here for shifts during the November build: https://signup.com/client/invitation2/secure/1097012304413042075/false#/invitation

More information about Window Dressers: “Window Dressers is a Maine-based 501c3 nonprofit that brings volunteers together to improve the warmth and comfort of homes, lower heating costs, and reduce CO2 emissions by producing attractive, low-cost, insulating window inserts that function as interior-mounted storm windows.” Here’s Window Dresser’s website (https://windowdressers.org/) and an intro video (https://vimeo.com/300353941).
Please reach out to burlingtonwindowdressers@gmail.com if you have any further questions.

Best, 
Katey Beaton

Burlington Window Dressers Outreach Coordinator

 She/Her