UT Firewood Bank

We have all the logs we need at this time – thanks to the folks that have offered to donate wood!

We still welcome people to help with preparing (and eventually delivering) firewood.

The University of Tennessee has started a firewood bank near Knoxville. Like food banks – but for heating not eating – firewood banks provide free firewood to people in need.  The UT Firewood Bank will be a cooperative effort of UT Extension, the UT Forest Resources REC, volunteers from the community and students in the UT Forestry Club. The UT Firewood Bank will work with the local food bank system to identify folks that need firewood, and deliver it to them for  free; an additional goal is to document the experience of starting a firewood bank and using this information to promote, through the Extension system, the creation of more firewood banks in the area.

The firewood pile is starting to grow

Logs arriving to be processed.

The new firewood processing site, cleared and ready for action!

Peach models proper safety equipment including helmet, eye and hearing protection, gloves and more.

The start-up of the UT Firewood Bank is being supported by the Alliance for Green Heat, which is partnering with the USDA Forest Service to promote firewood banks across the country. The plan is to start cutting, splitting and stacking the first firewood this spring, so that it will be ready for distribution this fall. There is a lot to learn and to organize – connecting with volunteers, establishing safety and training procedures, buying equipment, building shelters to dry the firewood, etc. – but we are excited about this new project and would love to hear from anyone who is interested in learning more!

Please contact Adam Taylor, 865-946-1125 for more information.

If you are interested in joining the Firewood Bank volunteer group, please review, print and sign these two documents and return them to Adam Taylor: