While the rest of the student body looks forward to the display of light and heat generated by the Homecoming bonfire tomorrow night, some Dartmouth students are sharing warmth in a different way.
The members of Operation Insulation and the Tucker Woodcrew are providing weatherization and repairs to needy homes across the Upper Valley.
Newly restarted two years ago, Operation Insulation seeks to call attention to the weather issues problematic for many New Hampshire residents, according to co-chair Courtney Jacobs '98.
Operation Insulation was established in the Fall of 1991 as a joint effort of the Tucker Foundation and the Environmental Studies division of the Dartmouth Outing Club.
Modeled after Habitat for Humanity, the organization travels throughout the Upper Valley repairing and insulating homes.
"We want the community to know that we realize that the bonfire uses a lot of resources, " said the group's other co-chair, Nancy Bloomfield '99.
This is not a protest against the bonfire, but rather a way of showing that students are aware of the incongruity of the event in light of the heating concerns facing many Upper Valley residents, Bloomfield said.
Another student organization, Woodcrew, delivers heating fuel to homes in need. Last year Woodcrew supplied 298 households with wood, and this year have already received six requests.
"We are trying to encourage student to look beyond campus at the problems of people less fortunate," said Woodcrew Chair Shaun Peet '98.
Both Woodcrew and Operation Insulation coordinate their programs through the LISTEN service umbrella in Lebanon.
The funding for these organizations is provided by donations and by LISTEN, whose Federal Weatherization Center receives government funds.
