The Crestone Energy Exchange was formed to coordinate local programs, opportunities, and events that support regenerative living and collaboration and connection amongst community groups. The first project this group initiated was the Community Firewood Program, a collaboration between the Crestone Energy Fair, Neighbors Helping Neighbors and Hearth of the Baca. If you are in need of firewood, we have several options to fit your needs:
Purchase Firewood
PLEASE NOTE : In an effort to service Neighbors Helping Neighbors and our Work-Trade program we will not be selling firewood until the Spring/Summer of 2024. Apologies but we are SOLD OUT!
Families who can afford to buy cords of firewood at full price will help to subsidize the program and ensure that we have a continual stock on hand through those cold winter months for NHN to distribute to families in need. So much gratitude to all of the clients who purchased firewood to kick start this program. Unfortunately, a lot of the bulk wood that was delivered to us was green and we are waiting for it to season. Orders can be placed here on our website, but we will not resume new orders and deliveries again until late March. Check back for updates as deliveries become available.
Work-Trade
We have a limited number of cords that can be offered with a work-trade situation. Ability to run chainsaws, hydraulic log-splitters, hauling firewood or hand splitting, loading and stacking of firewood necessary to apply for this opportunity.
Volunteer/Community Service
We also have spaces for people who would like to volunteer to help us collect, process and deliver wood and offer opportunities to fulfill community service agreements through the courts and restorative circle contracts.
Please contact Donovan Spitzman at 303-868-6352 or DSpitzman@yahoo.com.
Free Firewood
If you are in need of financial assistance to purchase firewood AND you are not physically able to do manual work, you can apply for the Free Firewood from NHN. Please consider offering volunteer hours for other projects that do not include heavy physical labor.
Please contact Mary Lowers at 719-256-4185 or lowersmary2@gmail.com.
Hearth of the Baca
Hearth of the Baca (formerly Emergency Firewood Project) has been in operation since 2018 on a small, word-of-mouth scale and has grown exponentially over the last couple of years. This project is intended for the emergency supplement of firewood to help bridge the gap until a larger, long term supply of firewood can be arranged. Corez Hines and Christina Lakish run this service in their spare time around their regular work for Baca Grande Emergency Services. The firewood has been donated by the Baca Grande POA (common areas & green belts), and by private homeowners and removed by Baca Grande Fire Department personnel in the process of mitigation projects.
We deliver approximately one fifth of a cord to those in crisis who are physically and financially unable to obtain firewood for heat. This service is provided on the basis of our availability, and we often cannot deliver wood on short notice due to our primary obligations to our work in emergency services. We work in collaboration with the Crestone Energy Exchange and Neighbors Helping Neighbors to assist as many residents in need as possible. Wood supply is limited, so we ask that requests be restricted to only true crisis situations.
Requests may be sent via TEXT MESSAGE to Christina Lakish at (970)404-5199.
We are grateful to NHN and the Saguache County Commissioners for supporting this new venture through a Sales Tax Grant and to Eric Maki and Mary Lowers for donating the land space to our efforts. Thank you to the BGFD mitigation crews, Tom McCracken of Green Earth Farms and local homeowners who have donated firewood for our distribution efforts. We will be adding the Baca Wildlife Refuge as a partner in 2022!
For more information about the overall program,
Please contact Donovan Spitzman 303-868-6352 or DSpitzman@yahoo.com.
