Grantees
2024-2025

Eighty-three firewood distribution programs were funded in the 2024-2025 grant cycle with $875,000 from the Firewood Bank Assistance Program.

Alarneq Qugtarvik

Alakanuk, AK

Start-up Bank
Projected to Serve 42 Homes
Funding: $9,989

As a start-up firewood distribution program, Alarneq Qugtarvik will be governed by the Alakanuk Tribal Council. The Alakanuk Tribal Court will assign individuals to serve their community service time to gather and process the wood for the program. Grant funds helped the program purchase fuel, PPE, four chainsaws, four log splitters, and four wheelbarrows.

Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps
Wood For Life Program

Flagstaff, AZ
Cords Per Year: 600
Homes Served Per Year: 500
Funding: $10,000

The Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps Wood For Life Program was funded in both 2022-2023 and 2023-2024. The Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps (ALCC) is a program of the 501(c)(3) Conservation Legacy. ALCC has been formally involved in processing and delivery of firewood since 2019. The ALCC program is a key partner of the Wood For Life Initiative (WFL). The firewood project is coordinated by the ALCC-Wood For Life Project Manager who oversees coordinators, managers, and crews. Their key partners are the United States Forest Service, the National Forest Foundation, the Navajo Nation Chapters as well as the Hopi Tribe Villages. They have a total of 3 full time staff, 2 seasonal, and 12 Americorps Individual placements. This year's grant helped them purchase an ox cart and a goose neck trailer.

Apache County Emergency Management

St. Johns, AZ
Cords Per Year: 100
Homes Served Per Year: 600
Funding: $10,000

Apache County Emergency Management was funded in both 2022-2023 and 2023-2024. They have been distributing firewood for over 6 years. Key partners of the Apache County’s firewood bank program are local churches, Navajo Nation, local veteran organizations, fire departments, and county departments. The firewood bank started as a way to not only aid families who need assistance heating their home when it gets cold, but also a way to partner with the US Forest Service and thin the overgrown areas of the nearby National Forest as a mitigation effort for wildfires. They have 5 fulltime paid staff members. This year's grant helped them purchase maintenance for firewood bank trucks skid steer, wood processing bars, chainsaw, sprockets, and bushings, and PPE.

Asheville Tool Library Firewood Project

Asheville, NC
Start-up Bank
Projected to Serve 40 Homes
Funding: $14,996

Asheville is in one of the hardest hit counties in western North Carolina from Hurricane Helene (Buncombe County). In the wake of the storm, there was an upswell in folks who both needed access to wood processing tools and had a deep desire to plug into the community to support one another in survival. In the Asheville area, over 40% of the trees are damaged or down. The Asheville Tool Library will be a resource for folks to be able to borrow the tools needed to process firewood and teach them how they can make micro-firewood banks for their neighbors. The tool library has held safety chainsaw classes and will act as a firewood distribution hub. At the moment, they have over 30 active volunteers for the firewood project. They will be partnering with organizations like ROAR (a fellow Firewood Bank Assistance Program grantee), Mutual Aid Disaster Relief (MADR), and Colaborativa La Mipla. This special start-up grant helped the Asheville Tool Library Firewood Project purchase two log splitters, a trailer, a chainsaw, eight mauls, and funded administration work for volunteer coordinating, translation, and fuel.

Baptist Men "Woodchucks"

Lansing, NC
Cords Per Year: 40
Homes Served Per Year: 40
Funding: $15,000

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The Baptist Men "Woodchucks," a program of the First Baptist Church of West Jefferson, was first funded in 2023-2024. Due to the devastating flooding caused by Hurricane Helene, they received a special grant this year to help with relief aid. The Baptist Men "Woodchucks" shared with us the impact flooding has had on their community:

"The impact that flooding had in Ashe County is the devastation to our infrastructure, homes, businesses, and complete communities flooded and some even washed away. Many roads and driveways have been washed out or compromised which will make wood deliveries tricky. Homes and businesses have been flooded and are requiring basements and living space to be torn out. Power has been disrupted, crews are working hard to replace poles and remove fallen trees. Due to all afore mentioned, our school district is unsure when schools will be reopening. Woodchucks had approximately 20 cords of stockpiled seasoned wood washed away and one of our splitters was submerged in floodwaters."

This special grant helped the Baptist Men "Woodchucks" purchase a new log splitter, logs, and a dump trailer.

Barnardsville Alliance Firewood Bank

Barnardsville, NC
Start-up Bank
Projected to Serve 40 Homes
Funding: $15,000

Hurricane Helene's devastation in western North Carolina was the catalyst for the creation of the Barnardsville Alliance Firewood Bank. The leader has worked closely with ROAR's firewood bank program and decided that their neighboring county of Buncombe would benefit from the creation of its own firewood bank. Barnardsville Alliance is a community-based organization that operates on the principles of mutual aid and collective decision-making. They currently have 6-8 committed volunteers. Along with the support of ROAR, they are partnering with the Big Ivy Community Center to build a firewood distribution hub. In the future, they will focus on sustainable forest management to keep their woodshed full and their forests healthy. The grant helped them purchase PPE, a log splitter, two sheds, three chainsaws, a tool shed, and funds to cover a small stipend for 1-2 people for administrative and coordination purposes.

Beaverhead Community Wood Bank Ministry Inc.

Dillon, Montana
Cords Per Year: 150
Homes Served Per Year: 50
Funding: $10,000

The Beaverhead Community Wood Bank Ministry Inc. (BCWBM) is an independent, all-volunteer 501(c)3 charity that "brings gifts of firewood to warm our neighbors in need" in Beaverhead County, Montana. They were previously funded by the Firewood Bank Assistance Program in 2023-2024. The 7-member Board of Directors includes a president, vice president, secretary, treasurer and three at-large members. The firewood bank began as a ministry of St. James Episcopal Church in 2008. Upon retirement of the priest who organized the firewood bank, the BCWBM incorporated as an independent charity in 2015. Key partners in the firewood bank work include United Way of Beaverhead County, Beaverhead Foundation, local banks, and the Montana National Guard’s Youth Challenge Academy (MYCA) at the University of Montana Western in Dillion, MT. They have 40+ volunteers. This year, the grant allowed the firewood bank to purchase logs, liability insurance, and PPE.

Beaverhead Community Wood Bank Ministry.jpg

Blackfeet Elderly Wood Program

Browning, MT
Cords Per Year: 300
Homes Served Per Year: 300
Funding: $15,000

The Blackfeet Elderly Wood Program has existed on the Blackfoot Nation since 2014. The demand for firewood has been steadily increasing. Currently, the Elderly Wood Program relies on borrowed equipment and volunteers from the Tribe's fire crew. They are partnering with the National Forest Foundation to help build the wood program's capacity. The grant helped them purchase six chainsaws, extra chain, four splitting axes, PPE, and a wood splitter.

Brandt Services

Monticello, UT
Cords Per Year: 110
Homes Served Per Year: 120
Funding: $10,000

Brandt Services was first funded by the Firewood Bank Assistance Program in 2023-2024. They are a husband and wife team that has been serving their community since 1984. Usually serving the elderly population, they have also provided heating assistance to the Ute Tribe and the State of Utah. Organizational partners include the Wood for Life Program, Aneth Chapter, LDS Eastland Branch, LDS Monticello Branch, and the Navajo Ministries. This year's grant helped them purchase logs, liability insurance, and a forklift engine rebuild kit,

Cahto Community Firewood Bank

Laytonville, CA
Start-up Bank
Projected to Serve 50 Homes
Funding: $10,000

The Cahto Community Firewood Program will be managed by the Cahto Tribal Environmental Department under the Tribal Government Structure. They will utilize four paid staff members to run the start-up bank. Initially, the firewood for the bank will be sourced from the forest health and wildfire shaded fuel brake projects being conducted on and off Rancheria land. Cahto is also in a stewardship relationship with BLM called Cahto Peak Oak Woodland Restoration which will help supply the firewood bank with wood for the next couple of years. The grant helped them purchase a log splitter, three chainsaws, materials to build a shed, PPE, and storage boxes for equipment.

Chama Peak Land Alliance

Tierra Amarilla, NM
Cords Per Year: 100
Homes Served Per Year: 165
Funding: $14,999

Chama Peak Land Alliance (CPLA) is a nonprofit organization. Main organizational partners of the firewood bank include the Upper Chama Soil & Water Conservation District and the Forest Stewards Guild. One of the main goals of CPLA is forest health. The firewood bank in the Tierra Amarilla area began in 2017, and CPLA began helping with the operation in 2020. They work with two to four volunteers to coordinate deliveries and pick-ups. The grant helped CPLA purchase logs, labor, and PPE.

Chesapeake Church

Huntingtown, MD
Cords Per Year: 25
Homes Served Per Year: 80
Funding: $5,000

Chesapeake Church's firewood bank was first funded in 2022-2023, the first year of the Firewood Bank Assistance Program. Firewood For Families, the ministry program run by Chesapeake Church, has provided free firewood to families in the community for over 20 years. Events are volunteer run and distribute approximately 25 cords of wood each winter to approximately 80 families a year. At their firewood events they average 100-130 volunteers working. The funding received this year purchased a log splitter and log lift, as well as additional PPE.

Chinle Chapter Wood Bank

Chíńlį́
(so-called Chinle, AZ)
Cords Per Year: 3,500
Homes Served Per Year: 3,500
Funding: $10,000

The Chinle Chapter Government was previously funded in 2022-2023 and 2023-2024. Chinle Chapter Government is a local government that was established under the Navajo Nation on February 14, 1956. It is the 32nd Chapter to be authorized as one of the 110 Navajo Nation Chapters. There is a total of 10-30 employees that are recruited to operate and manage the wood bank throughout the year. They are in their 4th year of firewood bank operations. The grant this year helped them purchase three chainsaws, two log splitters, chainsaw chains, bar and chain oil, and funds to repair and maintain chainsaws.

Chippewa Cree Tribe Firewood Bank

Box Elder, MT

Cords Per Year: 450
Homes Served Per Year: 300
Funding: $10,000

The Chippewa Cree Tribe Firewood Bank was first funded in 2022-2023, the first year of the Firewood Bank Assistance Program. They have been distributing firewood to elders for the last 4 years. They have 5-10 volunteers, a forestry technician that oversees the program, and a program director that deals with budgets and spending. The grant this year helped them purchase fuel for wood deliveries, supplies for chainsaws (bar oil, chains, etc.), PPE, a replacement belt for their wood processor, and funded maintenance for six of their delivery trucks.

Coeur d'Alene Tribe Firewood Program

Plummer, ID
Start-up Bank
Projected to Serve 25 Homes
Funding: $10,000

The Coeur d'Alene Tribe Firewood Program will be working with their local administrator for the Low Income Heating and Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Tribal elders will be prioritized for the wood distribution. Grant funds helped purchase a log splitter, three chainsaws, PPE, and provide funding for equipment maintence.

Community Firewood Distribution for Disadvantaged and Vulnerable Community Members and Tribal Members

Craig, AK

Cords Per Year: 400
Homes Served Per Year: 125
Funding: $10,000

Community Firewood Distribution for Disadvantaged and Vulnerable Community Members and Tribal Members was first funded in 2022-2023 (under the name Shaan Seet, Inc.), the first year of the Firewood Bank Assistance Program. Shaan Seet, Inc. (the fiscal sponsor for the firewood bank) is an Alaskan Native Village Corporation that serves Craig, Alaska, the largest town (pop. 1036) on Prince of Wales Island. Established under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, Shaan Seet’s mission is to develop economic opportunities for their community while perpetuating their native culture. In this part of Alaska, wood is the only source of heat for many households. The grant this year helped them purchase a dump trailer.

Community Firewood Distribution for Disadvantaged and Vulnerable Community and Tribal Memb

CommunityWorx Firewood Ministry

Maryville, TN
Cords Per Year: 150
Homes Served Per Year: 35
Funding: $14,995

The Firewood Ministry is one of the four programs operated by CommunityWorx. A faith-based nonprofit, CommunityWorx has been involved in coordinating local mission work in Blount County, TN, since 2004. In 2018, the Firewood Ministry was added to the services offered to Blount County community members in need. The firewood bank was started after a large oak tree had to be cut down in the Director’s yard. At the same time CommunityWorx began getting calls from people in need of firewood to heat their homes. They now have 38 volunteers. Grant funds purchased PPE, 2 wood splitters, and a shed to store firewood bank tools.

Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs

Warm Springs, OR
Cords Per Year: 70
Homes Served Per Year: 70
Funding: $9,979

The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs' WEDD/WIOA Senior Firewood Project has been delivering wood to elders for two years. They work with the Warm Springs Natural Resource Department, the Timber Committee, the Land Use Committee, Fire Management, and the Warm Springs Tribal Utilities Department. The grant helped them purchase a dump trailer, a steel chest, and canvas tarp.

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Crossfire United Methodist Church Wood Ministry

Yadkinville, NC
Cords Per Year: 30
Homes Served Per Year: 25
Funding: $14,999

The Crossfire United Methodist Church Wood Ministry was first funded in 2023-2024. Due to the devastating flooding caused by Hurricane Helene, they received a special grant this year to help with relief aid. The Wood Ministry shared with us the impact flooding has had on their community:

"Helene was devasting to Wilkes and the mountain counties west. All have been declared disaster areas. Supplies are still being delivered by helicopter, ATV, and mules. Power, water, roadways and bridges have been disrupted or destroyed. Their has been an overwhelming response to bring water and food, Gasoline, kerosene and propane are in much shorter supply. The most recent response from the UMC district was for seasoned wood. Crossfire can supply wood but needs additional capacity, means of loading and unloading the collapsible pallet containers for wood, and a trailer to move multiple pallets at a time."

This special grant helped them purchase a log splitter, a pallet trucks, a trailer, tractor tires, and a camera system to increase security of the wood lot.

Diné Bá'ádeit'į́ - For the People

Tuba City, AZ
Cords Per Year: 160
Homes Served Per Year: 350
Funding: $10,000

Diné Bá'ádeit'į́ was first funded by the Firewood Bank Assistance Program in 2023-2024. They are a 501(c)(3) organization, formed to help their community by embracing the teachings of their elders. The purpose of the organization is to provide wood to warm homes of elders living on the Navajo and Hopi Reservation. Many elders in the communities live in remote rural areas with limited resources to acquire their household needs, such as firewood. Fire plays a huge factor in offering warmth, cooking food, and purifying hauled water for many community members during the cold seasons that many do not have. Organizational partners include the Wood for Life program and the Nature Conservancy of Arizona. They have been distributing firewood for 4 years. They routinely have 30-50 volunteers who come from outlying communities to help. The grant helped the firewood bank to purchase chisels, two chainsaws, chainsaw bars, and tires.

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Dot Lake Village Firewood Bank Program

Fairbanks, AK
Start-up Bank
Projected to Serve 4 Homes
Funding: $10,000

Dot Lake Village is a small native tribe. They have many residents and tribal members in their village that utilize wood as a primary source of heat. Many of these individuals are below the federal poverty limit or are elderly. This start-up firewood bank will coincide with their newly created food pantry. They have 5 committed volunteers. Grant funding will help Dot Lake Village purchase PPE, a chainsaw, construction materials for a shed, a wood splitter, and additional insurance.

Downeast Wood Bank

Blue Hill, ME
Cords Per Year: 45
Homes Served Per Year: 155
Funding: $4,985

Downeast Wood Bank was first funded in 2022-2023, the first year of the Firewood Bank Assistance Program. The Downeast Wood Bank is a volunteer group that operates with 15-20 consistent regulars. The Blue Hill Heritage Trust offered the land where the firewood bank processes their firewood. They serve as their fiscal agent for the firewood grant. The grant this year helped them purchase logs, a wheelbarrow, and chainsaw chains.

Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Tribal Wood Program

ᎠᏫᎠᏂᏓ ᎤᏂᎬᏫᏳ ᎦᏅᏅ

(so-called Cherokee, NC)
Cords Per Year: 375
Homes Served Per Year: 65
Funding: $15,000

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Tribal Wood Program serves the three county service area of Swain, Jackson, and Haywood in North Carolina. Their main organizational partners include Tsali Manor Elders Program and H.E.L.P. (Handicap & Elderly Living Program). They have been operating for 35 years. The grant helped them purchase a log splitter, a chainsaw, PPE, signage, fuel, and a carport for equipment storage.

Firewood Bank of the Ruby Valley

Sheridan, MT
Cords Per Year: 110
Homes Served Per Year: 40
Funding: $10,000

The Firewood Bank of the Ruby Valley was previously funded in 2022-2023 and 2023-2024. The firewood bank is located about one mile outside of Sheridan, Montana, a small town (700 population) known as the “heart of the Ruby Valley.” A local rancher generously donated about an acre of ground to the firewood bank “in perpetuity," where wood is processed and stored. The volunteers at the Ruby Valley firewood bank work 2-3 days a week to keep up with the need. A simple financial screening process is used to determine eligibility but no one is turned away if they are in need. According to Frank Ford, the Ruby Valley’s Executive Director, “if someone is in need, or if they got hurt or are sick, we take care of them.” This year's grant helped them purchase logs.

Fort McDermitt Paiute-Shoshone Tribe Wood Program

McDermitt, NV
Cords Per Year: 300
Homes Served Per Year: 78
Funding: $15,000

The Fort McDermitt Paiute-Shoshone Tribe Wood Program has been distributing firewood to their community since 2022. Five staff members support the program. The grant helped the program purchase PPE, two chainsaws, a wood storage shed, trailer, and fuel for deliveries and equipment.

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Four Mile Fire Protection District Community Wood Lot

Boulder, CO
Cords Per Year: 51
Homes Served Per Year: 900
Funding: $10,000

The Four Mile Fire Protection District began their firewood bank when they worked on a landscape-scale mitigation project in Sunshine Canyon at a multi-acre residential property in the summer of 2023. Their main partners are Boulder County, Boulder County Wildfire Partners, Colorado State Forest Service, and the Boulder West Wildfire Authority. The wood lot is self-serve, but they have made deliveries to community members who were unable to retrieve the wood on their own. The grant helped them purchase signage, gloves for crew members, chainsaw chains, cutting shirts, two chainsaws, and supplies to build a fence arround the wood lot.

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Freeport Wood Bank

Freeport, ME
Start-up Bank
Projected to Serve 50 Homes
Funding: $10,000

The Freeport Wood Bank is a non-profit, all volunteer organization and is fiscally sponsored by Maine Wood Banks (a 501(c)(3) organization). They currently have 10 committed volunteers with a plan to recruit more from local companies for their volunteer days and through volunteer fairs. They have a close partnership with Freeport Community Services, delivering wood for their fuel assistance program, and have the support of the Freeport Town Council. The grant helped them purchase liability insurance, a log splitter, chainsaws, a website domain, and a shipping container.

Garden State Wood Bank

Washington, NJ

Start-up Bank
Projected to Serve 10 Homes
Funding: $3,800

The Garden State Wood Bank is our first New Jersey grantee, and the only firewood distribution program we know about in the state. They have five committed volunteers and plan to recruit more through social media and direct outreach to community and faith-based organizations. Their main partners are with their local utility company and The Outreach Connection. They were inspired to begin this wood bank after a conversation with colleagues at a forestry conference. Because the Emerald ash borer is killing trees across the state, municipalities and companies are left with a surplus of wood. A firewood bank is one solution in finding a purpose for this wood, and the people at Garden State Wood Bank aim to take advantage of the resource to help their rural neighbors. The grant helped them purchase a log splitter, a chainsaw, PPE, and a dolly.

Gold Country Senior Services Senior Firewood Program

Grass Valley, CA
Cords Per Year: 251
Homes Served Per Year: 180
Funding: $10,000

Gold Country Senior Services is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit near the Tahoe National Forest. They first received funding from the Firewood Bank Assistance Program in 2023-2024. Since 1979, the Senior Firewood Program has provided extra warmth to low-income seniors by delivering firewood for winter. The program was started by 3 men who worked in the milling industry. At the end of the season, these volunteers would take logging trees that could not be used commercially, split them, and deliver them to elders who could not split their own wood. They have a paid staff member to manage the 48 volunteers, including scheduling, overseeing, and appreciating their dedicated volunteer list. The grant helped the firewood bank budget for volunteer mileage, fuel for splitters and chainsaws, PPE, fire extinguishers, materials to build a mobile shade awning to cover the splitting area, and liability insurance.

Goochland Rotary Club Woodchuckers

Manakin-Sabot, VA
Cords Per Year: 60
Homes Served Per Year: 35
Funding: $9,573

The "Woodchucking" program of the Rotary Club of Goochland is one of their largest and most impactful community service projects. The program began in 2003 after Hurricane Isabel left many trees uprooted. Members of the rotary decided to cut and remove these trees for the community and found 6-8 families that could benefit from the firewood. Last season, 40 members volunteered their time to the project. They partner with GoochlandCares, a non-profit that screens and qualifies community members for the firewood bank. Grant funding is going towards purchasing a wood splitter, a chainsaw, repairs for their firewood bank truck, and gas cards for delivery drivers.

Great Oaks Firewood

Summerville, SC
Start-up Bank
Projected to Serve 100 Homes
Funding: $10,278

Great Oaks Firewood is a non-profit that has gathered 5 active volunteers to begin the firewood bank. They have verbal commitments from 7 more. Their mission statement reads, "Empowering communities with warmth and sustainability, our firewood bank strives to efficiently distribute and manage firewood resources, ensuring equitable access while promoting environmental stewardship and community resilience." Grant funds will help Great Oaks Firewood purchase 3 chainsaws, 2 log splitters, PPE, and a grapple attachment.

Greater Buffalo Run Valley United Methodist Church Firewood for Good Program

Bellefonte, PA
Start-up Bank
Projected to Serve 20 Homes
Funding: $10,000

The Firewood for Good Program is a faith-based church community outreach project of the Greater Buffalo Run Valley United Methodist Church. They have four core volunteers. They will utilize the lessons learned from their popular food pantry to build a successful firewood bank program. The grant helped the start-up firewood bank purchase two chainsaws, PPE, a log splitter, and a dump trailer.

Greenagers

South Egremont, MA
Cords Per Year: 25
Homes Served Per Year: 7
Funding: $4,925

Greenagers was first funded in 2022-2023, the first year of the Firewood Bank Assistance Program. Greenagers is a non-profit that was started to help get youth out into the outdoor landscape. They provide training in farming, forestry, and other environmental skills. To them, the firewood bank is great for building skills and teaching public service. The students learn how to safely use a chain saw and splitter. They have a small, mobile sawmill and also learn how to use a tractor and drive a dump truck. According to Farm Manager Sarah Monteiro, “hands down the wood chores are one of the favorite tasks. I think because it's instantly gratifying.” This year's grant helped them purchase a chainsaw, a chainsaw battery, a trauma kit, log splitter, log splitter cover, and a splitting maul.

H.O.M.E., Inc. Wood Bank

Orland, ME

Cords Per Year: 25
Homes Served Per Year: 25
Funding: $4,970

H.O.M.E., Inc. Wood Bank was first funded in 2022-2023, the first year of the Firewood Bank Assistance Program. Winters are hard for fishermen, farmers and other seasonal workers in rural Maine. In 1970, after witnessing people living in their cars, Carmelite Sister Lucy Poulin, began Project H.O.M.E. (Homeworkers Organized for More Employment. Her vision initially was a homeless shelter that supported cooperative crafting (knitting, sewing, etc.) as a means for low income rural community members to earn extra income. H.O.M.E. began building and repairing simple houses, sided and shingled with wood and heated by wood stoves. Their firewood bank was born out of their housing effort. Today Project H.O.M.E. uses a low barrier application and provides one cord of wood each season for families. This grant this year helped them purchase logs and PPE.

Hatfield Forestry Union (HFU) Community Firewood Bank

Iaeger, WV
Start-up Bank
Projected to Serve 20 Homes
Funding: $10,000

The Hatfield Forestry Union Community Firewood Bank is a project of BT Woodsman Co, LLC. They are a worker-owned timber products cooperative where every working employee is eligible for membership of their Board. Their firewood bank will be operated by full-time employees, with support from the Welch United Methodist Charge who will lead distribution and volunteer assistance. The grant helped them purchase a conveyor, a log table with hydraulic infeed, and fuel.

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Healing Heat Firewood Bank

Cleveland, GA
Start-up Bank
Projected to Serve 300 Homes
Funding: $14,914

Healing Heat Firewood Bank, the official firewood distribution program of Southern Legacy Wood Products , started this project after hearing about the need for DRIED ready to burn firewood for those families in Western Carolina after Hurricane Helene. The initial request came from a local church that a friend was volunteering at. They made the decision at that time to send (1) load of dried firewood to the area. Once there they realized that they needed to do more. Since that time, they've delivered over $25,000 of firewood in both 1/2 Cord Bags and Bulk Wood. While this mission has been a focused project, they want to establish a local firewood bank in their own community to continue on once this disaster project needs have been met. They have now plugged into a vast network of organizations and community partners to help distribute wood where it's needed most. The special start-up grant helped them purchase fuel, fire extinguishers, a chainsaw, a backpack blower for wood lot clean-up, a firewood shed, and processing of kiln dried wood.

Hinton Rural Life Center

Hayesville, NC
Cords Per Year: 476
Homes Served Per Year: 210
Funding: $10,000

Hinton Rural Life Center's firewood bank was funded in both 2022-2023 and 2023-2024. They are a Christian retreat center located in southern Appalachia. Their community outreach efforts led them to see that one of the barriers to people accessing stable housing is poor credit scores due to unpaid heat bills. In 2013, Hinton decided to start a firewood ministry to provide heating to community members in need. The ministry has grown tremendously. On “Firewood Wednesdays” in colder months, Hinton volunteers or “woodchuckers” are in the wood lot processing and loading wood for those who physically and/or financially need support. This year's grant helped purchase liability insurance, fuel for delivery vehicles and equipment, maintenance for their firewood bank tractor and truck, totes, and a used side x side.

Hughes Wood Program
(Hudotl'eekkaakk'e Wood Program)

Hughes, AK
Cords Per Year: 100
Homes Served Per Year: 42
Funding: $15,000

Main organizational partners for the Hudotl'eekkaakk'e Wood Program are the HVC Wood Vendor Program, TCC Energy Assistance Program, City of Hughes Biomass Program, and the Yukon-Koyukuk School District. They have 1-3 committed volunteers. In their area of Alaska, winter temperatures can get down to -60 degrees Fahrenheit. With heating oil prices high (~$13 a gallon), having a firewood program is a life or death service. The grant helped purchase PPE, materials to build a tool shed and a wood shed, three chainsaws, axes, and logs.

Integral Youth Services

Klamath Falls, OR

Start-up Bank
Projected to Serve 60 Homes
Funding: $10,000

Integral Youth Services (IYS) is a faith-based non-profit organization that has partnered with Klamath and Lake County Action Services, Ridgewater, Oregon Department of Forestry, Lake of the Woods, and community members to collect firewood, identify low-income and seniors who would benefit most from the free firewood, and distribute this firewood. The grant helped IYS purchase a log splitter, a utility trailer, PPE, and materials to help season wood (wood pallets & tarps).

Interfaith Caregivers of Burnett County Heat-A-Home

Danbury, WI
Cords Per Year: 218
Homes Served Per Year: 125
Funding: $10,000

Interfaith Caregivers of Burnett County Heat-A-Home first received a grant from the Firewood Bank Assistance Program in 203-2024. Denny and Barb Blodgett started Interfaith Caregiver’s in 1992 after learning that Burnett County was widening a road near their house and would be taking trees down and planned to burn the wood that was harvested. The Blodgett’s asked the County if instead, they’d bring the trees to their property where the logs were split, stored and stacked. They get referral’s through word of mouth and from local churches and Burnett County’s Aging and Disability Resource Center (ARDC). This year's grant allowed them to purchase a dump trailer and offset wood processing costs.

Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma (KTO) Firewood Bank

McCloud, OK
Start-up Bank
Projected to Serve 32 Homes
Funding: $9,976

This start-up firewood bank is run by the Agriculture and Natural Resources Department of the Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma. This firewood bank was spurred by a situation where a large area was being cleared and the company moving into the area wanted to burn the wood that was cut. Much of this wood came from Blackjack oak trees which holds a cultural significance for the Kickapoo Tribe. Instead of going through with the company's idea of burning the wood onsite, the Kickapoo Tribe distributed fliers letting tribal members know that they could participate in a wood processing day. The firewood produced was then distributed to 12 traditional homes. Despite the hardships of maintaining tradition after a forced migration to Oklahoma, the Kickapoo Tribe still has the 12 traditional homes that use firewood year-round for cultural, cooking, and heating purposes. There are also 20 other homes nearby, mostly inhabited by tribal members and tribal elders, that also use wood as a primary heat source. The grant allowed the start-up to purchase two chainsaws, a log splitter, PPE, and a utility trailer.

Koho4Hopi

Kykotsmovi, AZ
Cords Per Year: 1000
Homes Served Per Year: 2500
Funding: $10,000

Koho4Hopi was funded in both 2022-2023 and 2023-2024. They are a non-profit that was started by Matt Honanie and his wife to help the Hopi people. The Kayenta Coal Mine had recently closed and people didn’t have a reliable source of energy to heat their homes. Today they are partners in Wood for Life, a partnership that uses wood from forest restoration efforts to fuel indigenous communities that rely on firewood to heat their homes. The grant this year helped them purchase a used trailer to transport logs that will primarily be used for ceremonial purposes.

Last Green Valley Firewood Bank

Dayville, CT
Start-up Bank
Projected to Serve 10 Homes
Funding: $9,971

Last Green Valley Firewood Bank receives wood from local tree companies that aren't able to use the wood due to its shape and/or size. Last Green Valley says that their mission is "...to be a source of heat in the community during the darkest and coldest times of the year." The grant helped them purchase a log splitter, a chainsaw, PPE, a wheelbarrow, smoke detectors, and a tool shed.

Little Woodbank

Bigfork, MT
Cords Per Year: 50
Homes Served Per Year: 10
Funding: $9,466

Little Woodbank is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded by two disabled veterans who recognized the need for sustainable heating solutions in Montana. They are dedicated to providing firewood to veterans, low-income families, and the elderly in the Flathead Valley and surrounding regions. They plan on collaborating with a network of faith-based organizations, local food banks, community groups, and corporate sponsors. They also plan on working with local logging associations to source unmarketable timber and sustainable wood supplies, as well as the US Forest Service to take advantage of essential training and learn about sustainable forestry practices. They have been distributing firewood for eight years with two committed volunteers (its founders), but is looking to expand its volunteer base through future partnerships. The grant helped them purchase three chainsaws, two log splitters, PPE, chainsaw fuel, bar oil, first aid kits, and fire extinguishers.

Marshall Traditional Council Firewood Bank

Marshall, AK
Start-up Bank
Projected to Serve 50 Homes
Funding: $10,000

This start-up firewood bank has 2-3 committed volunteers and a Firewood Coordinator. They will operate as both a self-serve and a delivery style firewood bank. Elders and single parents within the community are prioritized when it comes to wood distribution. The grant helped them purchase PPE, 2 chainsaws, an ATV trailer, and a toboggan sled,

Marshall Traditional Council Firewood Bank.jpg

Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation Community Wood Bank Program

Amherst, MA
Cords Per Year: 60
Homes Served Per Year: 60
Funding: $10,000

The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) Community Wood Bank Program will be working with six municipalities: Athol, Buckland, Colrain, Montague, Petersham, and Charlemont. Their coordination enables rural communities to recycle surplus trees into firewood to address energy insecurity. They have been working on this initiative for ten years. There are 20-30 core volunteers that fill in the parts of the program that paid staff are unable to fill. This program is certainly unique in the Firewood Bank Assistance Program as it is our first grantee that is a state governmental entity that formally partners with local government to get firewood to households. Each municipality produces a list of recipients that need wood. The DCR crew then processes wood and delivers it to the households. The grant allowed the crew to purchase hydraulic chainsaw attachment.

Grantees 2024-2025