For more than 157 years, Metropolitan Family Services has helped thousands of families succeed by providing services in the areas of education, emotional wellness, economic sustainability and empowerment. Metropolitan will use this contribution to purchase a boiler and HVACR components for its Southwest Cook County facility that serves nearly 7,000 children and families annually. “Every year we select a local not-for-profit organization from the area where the Show is being held to receive the entry fees from the AHR Expo Innovation Awards,” said Clay Stevens, President of International Exposition Company (IEC), which produces and manages AHR Expo. “It is especially meaningful when this donation can be used for such a worthwhile purpose as improving the lives of families in need by using the HVAC technology seen at the Show.” Stevens added that Metropolitan was also the recipient of the 2012 AHR Expo Innovation Award donation when the Show was last held in Chicago, using the donation to upgrade rooftop HVAC units and boiler systems at one of its other community centers, saving the not-for-profit thousands of dollars on its energy bills. The 2015 AHR Expo Award comes at a time of sharply growing need for low-income families and the agencies that serve them. Despite a challenging economy, Metropolitan Family Services found ways to expand its reach by 56% since 2012, serving 67,150 people last year. “We are very grateful for this generous contribution from AHR Expo,” said Ric Estrada, President and CEO of Metropolitan Family Services. “It not only helps us provide a more comfortable environment for our families, it also allows us to save on energy costs that we’d much rather apply to critical family services.” Since the inception of the AHR Expo Innovation Awards competition, more than $140,000 has been donated to not-for-profit organizations. AHR Expo is endorsed by 38 of the leading HVACR industry associations and is co-sponsored by ASHRAE and the Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI). The Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI) is an honorary sponsor.
AHR Expo Management has announced that Metropolitan Family Services (Metropolitan), the Chicago area’s longest serving human services agency, has been selected as the recipient of the 2015 AHR Expo Innovation Awards entry fees donation. A check in the amount of $16,400 will be presented to Metropolitan at the Innovation Awards Presentation which will take place at the 2015 AHR Expo on Tuesday, January 27th.