Helping Heat Homes of Needy Families

I hope you will take a minute to read the following story about a local businessman who is helping local families in need. I am truly humbled by his generosity and caring.

The following is reprinted from the newest edition of Northwest REporter, the official real estate publication of the Seattle-King County Association of REALTORS® and the Northwest Multiple Listing Service:

Real estate professionals with clients who are converting from oil to natural gas or electricity can connect those homeowners with a new nonprofit organization so their unused oil can help others who can't afford to heat their homes. More than 200 families have been identified as needing such assistance, a number that is expected to grow.

The win-win arrangement is the creation of Dallas Gigrich, owner of Tanks by Dallas in Lake Forest Park, north of Seattle. His charitable endeavor, called Home Energy Assistance Team (HEAT), recently attained federal nonprofit status, so donations of oil and money may be tax deductible.

Gigrich started his home-based oil tank decommissioning company in 1996 when new regulations mandated unused oil tanks be removed or cleaned according to strict requirements to prevent environmental damage from leaks. He said a typical decommissioned or abandoned tank still has 200 to 400 gallons of oil left in it.

Instead of transferring unused oil from the out-of-service tanks to a recycler to resell, the businessman with a benevolent heart started offering to drain the tanks at no charge. Then he provided free delivery service to single parents, the elderly and others who lacked funds to fill their own oil tanks. (A typical 3-bedroom house requires 500 to 600 gallons annually, at a cost of around $3 per gallon.)

In recent years, the "Oil Angel," as he's been dubbed, has delivered around 100,000 gallons or oil per year. The recipients are referrals from friends, churches, social-services agencies and other sources.

The donations come at a cost to Tanks by Dallas, including expenses for transporting and staffing.

With winter upon us and a business slowdown that's affected Tanks by Dallas, HEAT welcomes donations of oil and money to help defray the costs of delivering and filling tanks to cash-strapped families. Gigrich also hopes to find a volunteer who can help him apply for environmental grants, since he is reusing oil. He can be reached at 206-365-0291.