As you know, the Comfort Now Team has been giving away a FREE heater to a person or family with the greatest need and most compelling story in the Atlantic County or Cape May County since we opened in 2014. Over the past 6 years we've been able to provide heat for the holidays to 8 very deserving families, in addition to our other promotions and giveaways. After all the submissions are in, we get together as a team and decide which people or families we feel have the greatest needs after reading all the submissions and going out to meet with the nominees.

Last year, we needed a little help selecting the most deserving family because it would be impossible to help every one of the nominees submitted; so we asked the public to help us select a winner. After all the input from the public last year, we still didn't have a clear choice of whom we should help, so without hesitation and in the true spirit of the holidays, Bob blurts out, "why can't we help more than one family this year?!?" So there you have it, in 2019 we decided to help 2 families get heat for the holidays last winter season!

But this year is not 2019...it's 2020! And we all know what that means...if nothing else, this year's been unpredictable!

As the nominees started rolling in this year, we quickly realized we had more heartbreaking stories than we've ever heard before! This year's giveaway brought in requests to help over 20 families! As we had in years past, we starting contacting these deserving families to try and determine which people were most in need of our services. Well, the stories just kept getting more dire and we realized we needed to help more than just one family again this year! But which one? Internally, our team felt Leon of Galloway had the most compelling story; but how could we not help Dan, Denise, Suzanne or Vicki? It was now up to Bob to choose...of course, he wanted to help every one of them, but that's not possible - or is it?!?

Fast forward to Monday morning, the day after the public shared their input on our most deserving family. The phone rang, it was a woman from Michigan asking to speak to Bob. This woman, who we’re identifying as "Mo" from Michigan, was inquiring about what we do and telling us she would like to help get these deserving people some heat. Being from Michigan, she has no roots in South Jersey, nor does she know anybody around here! As Bob continued to converse with "Mo", she made a wonderfully generous financial offer so we could help as many people as we can! Excited that we could now help multiple families this holiday season, we still needed to narrow the list from 5 down to maybe 3, then what do yah know, another Christmas Miracle happened...

With the promise of a donation from "Mo", we immediately called our Carrier Distributor in Pennsylvania, Pierce Phelps (https://www.peirce.com/) to place an order for the new heating systems. As excited as we were, I don't think Bob was ready for what happened next. When Bob began to share the news of "Mo's" generosity with our friends at Pierce Phelps, they said they wanted to help as well and decided to donate 5 residential heaters so we could help ALL 5 finalists get heat for the holidays! But the giving doesn't stop there ... read more about what happened below!

Winner #1 - Leon of Galloway	check out Bob sharing the news with Leon

Leon was nominated by Brian Duffey, the owner of Cinder-Fella Chimney Sweep, LLC. Brian originally went out to check on Leon's fireplace to make sure it was safe. After hearing Leon's story, Brian immediately contacted our office to see if we could help - read more of Leon's story by clicking here. Not only did Brian help bring Leon's story to us, he AND the Margate City Fire Department FMBA Local 41 teamed up to give Leon and his family a check for $500.00 so they could have food on the table this holiday season...way to go Brian & MCFD! Check out the video above to see Leon's reaction to the generosity. To learn more about Cinder-Fella Chimney Sweep, LLC go to facebook.com/CinderFellaChimneySweepLLC

Winner #2 - Dan of CMCH	check out Casey Mc sharing the news with Dan

Dan was nominated by 2 people - Denise & Lisa. Like most of us in 2020, Dan had recently fell on some hard times and was having difficulty making ends meet. He has been using a wood burning stove to help keep himself warm for the past 3 years - read more of Dan's story by clicking here. Check out the video above to see Dan's reaction to the great news...

Winner #3 - Denise of EHT	check out Bob sharing the news with Denise

Winner #4 - Suzanne of EHT	check out Bob sharing the news with Suzanne

Suzanne was self-nominated, but that doesn't make her story any less of a tear jerker! Like most of us, 2020 change our lives, but for Suzanne, it was even worse! Suzanne opened her home to someone, who thru a surgery gone wrong, became a quadriplegic. Suzanne knew it was going to be a change from every day normal life, or what she considered to be normal despite having 3 dogs, a 3 year old daughter and working 2 jobs - read more of Suzanne's story by clicking here. Check out the video above to see Suzanne's reaction to winner the new heater...

Winner #5 - Vicki of Galloway	check out Bob sharing the news with Vicki

Vicki was self-nominated. The gas heater (and air conditioner) in Vicki's condo have never worked properly from the moment she moved in her home. So, instead of using a furnace, Vickie bundles up under blankets and quilts to stay warm during the winter months - read more of Vicki's story by clicking here. Check out the video above to see Vicki's reaction to winner the new heater...

There you have it...one Holiday Heater Giveaway, 5 WINNERS!

We'd like to take a moment and thank the people that partnered with us to make this giveaway such a major success. We'd like to thank Brian Duffey of Cinder-Fella Chimney Sweep, LLC for nominating Leon of Galloway and bring his story to our attention. We'd like to thank Margate City Fire Department FMBA Local 41 for teaming up with Brian Duffey to give Leon and his family a check for $500.00 so they could have food on the table this holiday season. We'd like to thank our Carrier Distributor in Pennsylvania, Pierce Phelps for their kind gesture of donating the 5 heaters we're installing. But most of all, we'd like to take a moment and offer a special THANK YOU to "Mo" from Michigan who started this process by making that phone call to help people she did not know, nor did she ever plan to meet - that was just an example of pure generosity!

The total value of the 5 systems and other components we are providing exceeds $20,000! It truly is a Christmas Miracle and the Comfort Now Team is absolutely thrilled to be able to do this.

We'd also like to thank ALL of the great submissions we received throughout our Holiday Heater Giveaway for 2020. We wish we were able to help everyone that submitted a nomination, but there is always next year! Look for our contests and giveaways throughout 2021..we love helping the folks of Atlantic and Cape May Counties whenever we can! Happy Holoiday to all and to all a good night...

After all everybody has been through in 2020,
we’re leaving it on a bright note!

If you are thinking of upgrading your heater (or air conditioner) to a new, energy efficient HVAC System that could save you considerable money in utility bills, South Jersey Gas has some incredible rebates and financing terms to help you too!

Check this out! Right now, South Jersey Gas has an incredible offer for homeowners that either currently have a gas heater OR are looking to convert to gas and are ready to replace their old equipment with a new, energy efficient heating system.

With these programs, most customers can upgrade their HVAC System to a new, energy efficient unit with a payment of less than $100.00 a month...

Here is what South Jersey Gas is offering:

• For qualified buyers who currently have gas, you can receive up to $11,000.00 in financing with 0% interest for 7 years, AND a $700.00 rebate on qualifying high efficiency equipment
  
  
• For qualified buyers who decide to convert from oil, propane or electric to natural gas, you can receive up to $8,000.00 in financing with 0% interest for 5 years, AND a $700.00 rebate on qualifying high efficiency equipment
  
  
• If NO financing is used, you may be eligible for a $1,200.00 rebate on qualifying high efficiency equipment (a $700.00 rebate from the State of New Jersey and a $500 rebate from South Jersey Gas)

If you have additional questions about South Jersey Gas Programs, pick up the phone and give us a call at 609-400-1005, we have the answers you need!