Submitted by Barron Heating AC Electrical & Plumbing
As a family-run business since 1972, our team at Barron Heating AC Electrical & Plumbing has developed a deep appreciation for our community. “Our Mission: Improving Lives” is not just a tagline—it encapsulates our enduring commitment to making a positive difference in the lives of those we serve. And through our Barron KARES initiative, we’re humbled to do just that—ensuring that Kindness, Appreciation, Response, Empathy, and Service are not just words but principles we live by.
Barron KARES is our commitment to showing kindness and appreciation in our community through direct, empathetic service. Each month, we spotlight a different charity or non-profit organization that holds high esteem among our team and the areas we serve. Barron KARES provides a charitable donation of $110 from select monthly purchases, such as tankless water heaters, heat pumps, solar installations, generators, and more.
Why $110? It carries significance from an early mentor of Owner John Barron, who advised, “go above and beyond your call of duty…push past 100…give 110% every time…”—a philosophy of exceeding expectations that has become a guiding principle for Barron ever since.
With Barron KARES, we see our commitment as more than a monetary donation. It represents a dedication to making a tangible, positive impact on the causes and individuals we support. As we close the first quarter of 2025, we’re looking back at the past 14 months of this initiative and the organizations we are proud to have supported.
Skookum Kids—February 2024
February of 2024 was our kickoff of Barron KARES, and we featured Skookum Kids. Entering foster care can be overwhelming for children, so Skookum’s emergency shelter offers a safe, stabilizing environment, addressing the “72-Hour Problem” and giving social workers time to assess the situation. Skookum focuses on reunifying children with their biological families by facilitating hundreds of visits each year and hosting family events while recognizing the importance of foster parents in shaping children’s lives and providing extensive support and training. Thanks to our customers, Barron KARES donated over $10,000 to Skookum Kids this month, helping to build resilient communities where children experiencing foster care can thrive.
National MS Society—March 2024
March is MS Awareness Month—a cause that holds a special meaning for the Barron Family. Barron’s co-founder, Vivian Barron, suffered from Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (RRMS) from her mid-30s through her passing in 2017 at the age of 82. Vivian’s kindness is still remembered, having loved her family, friends, and co-workers deeply; she had a profound impact on anyone blessed to know and be around her. In March 2024, Barron KARES donated over $10,000 to the National MS Society in Vivian’s honor, proud to support their efforts to find a cure for MS.
Wild Bird Charity—April 2024
No child goes hungry—a commitment of Wild Bird Charity to feed every hungry child in Whatcom County. The organization provides multiple meals and snacks to children in Whatcom County every weekend, partnering with 27 area schools that identify families in need and distributing food to kids each Friday. As the need continues to grow, Wild Bird Charity is determined to meet it—a mission Barron KARES was honored to support in April of 2024 with a donation of over $12,000.
Royal Family KIDS—May 2024
Barron KARES featured Royal Family KIDS in May—an organization that creates positive, life-changing moments for children aged 6-11 who have experienced neglect, abuse, and abandonment. RFK gives these kids a weeklong summer camp, with one-on-one attention from safe, caring adults modeling positive connections and relationships. For one week, instead of operating in survival mode, they can just be kids. With tea parties, crafts, woodworking, birthday parties, music, dress up, and much more, kids can feel “normal” and once again dream, believe, and find new hope for their future. Several Barron Team Members volunteer each year at this camp as counselors, event coordinators, kitchen staff, and other support roles, and Barron KARES donated over $10,000 this month to RFK.
Whatcom Land Trust—June 2024
On a mission to preserve and protect wildlife habitat, as well as scenic, agricultural, and open space lands in Whatcom County, Whatcom Land Trust is an advocate for future generations of all species. Over the past 40 years, the Land Trust has protected forests, farmland, wildlife habitat, shorelines and created 15 parks and preserves in Whatcom County. The organization engages community members in stewardship, inspiring meaningful connections between people, land, and each other, a cause that Barron KARES was honored to support with a donation of over $6,000.
D.I.S.H. Foundation—July 2024
Barron KARES donated over $9,000 to D.I.S.H. Foundation in July, supporting their mission to employ people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). D.I.S.H. provides stable jobs that teach valuable workplace skills while promoting dignity, independence, and purpose. They offer respite, cooking classes, vocational training, job coaching, and help navigating community programs. Since 2022, D.I.S.H. has run a cafe at the Container Village at the port in partnership with Our Kitchen, providing job opportunities for people with IDD. This work gives them independence, purpose, and a sense of belonging, focusing on their abilities rather than their challenges.
Whatcom Humane Society—August 2024
Operated since 1902, the Whatcom Humane Society is the oldest non-profit animal welfare organization in Whatcom County. They provide for abandoned, injured, abused, or neglected animals and educate the community to promote humane animal treatment and respect. WHS also provides 24-hour animal control and rescue services for the majority of Whatcom County. As an open-admission animal shelter, WHS turns no animal away, regardless of its age, breed, temperament, or condition, and cares for approximately 4,500 animals annually through three shelter facilities. Barron KARES is honored to have donated over $5,000 to this core community service in August of 2024!
Whatcom County Search & Rescue—September 2024
With an over $6,000 donation, Barron KARES supported Whatcom County Search & Rescue in September, an organization that plays a vital role in our community as they stay ready for search, rescue, recovery, and incident response. Six units, comprised of over 200 volunteers, specialize in traditional foot search, mobile emergency transport, snowmobile, dive, technical rope, and swift water rescue. Common duties range from traditional wilderness and urban search to wilderness body recovery, first aid and pack-out of injured hikers and hunters to urban searches for lost children or dementia patients, and more. SAR has also played a key role in flood rescue, delivery of PPE and food during the pandemic, severe weather transportation, safety patrols, and wilderness safety education.
Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services—October 2024
DVSAS (Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services) was Barron KARES’ featured organization for October of 2024 and the recipient of a donation of over $8,000. Committed to supporting individuals affected by domestic violence, sexual assault, and sexual exploitation and to leading the community toward ending these abuses of power, DVSAS works to heal victims and end domestic abuse. With client-centered, accessible housing and support services, DVSAS empowers victims and survivors while offering safe housing and the possibility of a new life. They provide a full spectrum of support and services that victims need after trauma while also offering prevention education to break the cycle of violence.
Growing Veterans—November 2024
Founded by a combat-wounded USMC veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan and a former mental health counselor turned farmer, Growing Veterans is more than an organic, bustling farm (now expanded to two locations!). It brings together veterans and civilians, and by sowing seeds in the field together, helps to end the isolation that leads to suicide. The farm is used as a catalyst for human connection and veteran reintegration, making a powerful impact on the health and well-being of vets returning home, and the world. Growing Veterans is a place to find purpose & camaraderie again. As a professional stepping stone, vets can build their resume and skill sets and get involved through employment, volunteering, internships, and more. In November, Barron KARES donated over $8,000 to this essential organization.
Lighthouse Mission Ministries—December 2024
Lighthouse Mission Ministries aims to be a consistent friend to people in homelessness, offering hope, giving dignity, serving, and supporting them as they undertake the difficult work of leaving homelessness behind. Their programs include the Base Camp 24/7 shelter, the Ascent Program for men’s recovery, the Agape Home for women, the Good Neighbor Project for local businesses, and Outreach, all to share faith and serve those in need. Lighthouse Mission Ministries provided 650+ meals per day, sheltered 253 individuals each night, and placed 150+ people in stable housing—all in the past year—an essential service that Barron KARES was proud to support in December with a donation of over $8,000.
Brigadoon Service Dogs—January 2025
With an over $10,000 donation in January of 2025, Barron KARES supported Brigadoon Service Dogs, an organization that provides trained service dogs for disabled veterans, children, and adults to promote a more independent and enriched life. The demand for a well-trained service dog far exceeds the industry’s ability to provide them, and Brigadoon addresses this great need in the Pacific Northwest. Through an intentional and compassionate approach to animal-assisted interventions (AAI), they focus on harnessing each match’s therapeutic potential and healing qualities. With positive reinforcement and force-free training methods, Brigadoon maximizes the success and welfare of the dogs in their care.
Lydia Place—February 2025
Lydia Place believes that housing interventions today with prevention strategies for tomorrow are an investment in ending family homelessness in our community. But housing is only one facet of long-term healing for families that have faced years of homelessness and complex traumas. With that in mind, all families that are in housing programs at Lydia Place also have access to parenting support and clinical mental health care. Lydia Place serves 300 families annually, and with generous community donations, as well as Barron KARES’ February donation of over $10,000, they aim to increase capacity, services, and access in the near future.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Skagit County—March 2025
Barron KARES featured Boys & Girls Clubs of Skagit County for the month of March—a local branch of a nationwide organization that enables all young people to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Boys & Girls Clubs are safe, positive, and fun places for youth after school or during summer hours. Through regular attendance, kids and teens create lasting friendships with their peers and can look to staff as trusted mentors for support. Since 2014, Boys & Girls Clubs of Skagit County has seen its budget grow more than sevenfold and currently serves over 1,700 members, all with a commitment to local kids and providing them with the support they need to thrive. Barron KARES will be donating over $10,000 to aid in their fantastic efforts!
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