GODFREY - The Heat Up St. Louis, Inc., non-profit charity, has for years assisted the elderly, disabled and low-income families with their delinquent heating bills in both Illinois and Missouri.
Each year, Hardee’s restaurants participate in a key fundraiser for the charity. This year's Hardee's Rise and Shine for Heat benefit was Friday morning at the Godfrey location on Godfrey Road. The Hardee’s Rise and Shine for Heat benefit allows the public to purchase a $1 sausage or egg biscuit from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. on the designated day sales benefit Heat-Up St. Louis. The donations stay in the communities where they are collected, organizers say.
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
Harlee Coulson, general manager of the Hardee’s at 2720 Godfrey Road in Godfrey, has been affiliated with the operation for a decade and she said they have contributed a significant amount of donations to the Heat Up program. The business also had a collection jar inside the restaurant. Coulson said this is a great cause and she believes it is very generous what Hardee’s does to help others in need with this project.
Heat Up St. Louis, Inc., started in December 2000. A total of 100 percent of all public and private donations go to helping the needy. The needy includes the working poor and others who may be temporarily laid-off or trapped in an economic crisis. The grants help restore a primary home heating source in winter and also assist with air conditioners in the summer for at-risk households.
Scott Mandrell, an area resident, is a long-time volunteer for Heat Up St. Louis. He said in the times of some negatives, this is a huge positive for the region.
“This is a terrific thing,” he said. “It doesn’t normally get much media coverage over here, but mostly in St. Louis.”
Mandrell said he was glad this year to see Heat Up St. Louis receiving media attention on the Metro East Illinois side.
“Hardee’s has been a lead corporate sponsor for many years and a lot of families in our own back yard benefit from it,” he said. “It is a very uplifting story and helps low-income families without putting the burden on government agencies.”
Chris Rhodes also contributed to this story.
