2^ND RECIPIENT OF LANGFORD SCHOLARSHIP

Dustin O’Quinn was awarded the John Langford Memorial Scholarship by the AECP Board of Directors. Dustin is the Weatherization Crew leader for People, Inc. in Abingdon, VA.  His supervisor states “Dustin goes above and beyond when dealing with his clients and the staff he supervises. The clients that he serves feel at ease when Dustin is around. They can tell he truly cares about helping them”.

AECP HOLDS SOLAR TRAINING

AECP held a training on solar basics and installations on February 11, 2020 at the Community Housing Partners Training Center. The training included basic information on solar electricity, building code, installation techniques and practices, solar materials and equipment, cost, working with contractors and much more. Half the day was spent in a classroom setting and the rest of the day was spent with a hands- on demonstration of a solar installation. Rick Brown with Solshine Energy Alternatives was the trainer. The purpose of the training was to educate crew, staff and administrators about solar basics in preparation for future opportunities to combine solar with a weatherized home.

PROGRAM EXPERIENCES GLOBAL PANDEMIC

In March of 2020 the Virginia Weatherization Program basically shut down due to the Covid-19 virus and emergency lock down orders from the Governor. This was the beginning of a very difficult time for the program and the clients they serve. New safety protocols were developed but in many cases programs were completely shut down and everyone worked from home. As the summer approached some programs began to weatherize homes adhering to a very strict safety process. The pandemic created problems for programs generating revenue necessary to pay staff since Weatherization is a production based reimbursement system. With little or no production the situation has been very difficult. There have also been problems related to obtaining safety equipment, masks and clothing related to the new safety standards. Supply chain issues were also a problem as well as the daily stress felt by everyone involved who were basically front line workers trying to go in to people’s homes to do their work. Virtual meetings and conference calls became a necessary way for people to communicate, to vent, to seek help, and to find ways to work together and move forward.