Eide Industries donates money to assist with heating bills

Every time Eide Industries, a Cerritos, Calif., producer of custom awnings and structures, installs a fabric-based shade project registered with the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program, $100 will be donated to assist low-income families pay heating bills. Eide made the pledge after the U.S. Senate failed to pass a home heating assistance bill in July. The funds go to the Dollar Energy Fund, which partners with 17 utility companies across Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey, which have been hard-hit by rising energy costs. “We felt our initiative to help struggling families would have the most meaning if we were to stipulate that the projects triggering a donation be registered with [LEED],” says Don Araiza, company president. LEED projects focus on energy conservation and sustainability, a good fit with Eide’s business.