Bonfe helps keep Twin Cities warm with winter gear drive

Minneapolis winters can be brutal, but with community donations, Bonfe is working to make the season safer and warmer for all Twin Cities residents.

Provided by Bonfe

November 3, 2025 at 5:53PM

If you’ve lived through a Minnesota winter, you know it takes strategic bundling with trustworthy clothes and gear to make the season safe and bearable. But for some Twin Cities residents, costly, reliable winter wear isn’t in the budget this year.

Bonfe — a local home services company of more than three decades — is working to make this winter a cozy one for their Twin Cities neighbors who don’t have access to warm coats, gloves, boots, and more. Here’s how Bonfe is putting its values into action — and how customers and friends can help.

A Culture of Care

As a family-owned provider for HVAC, plumbing, electrical, drain and sewer services in the Twin Cities, Bonfe is already focused on quality work and technical expertise. Still, the Bonfe team considers it their responsibility not only to provide top-notch customer and home service, but to be a good neighbor.

“For decades, we’ve built our reputation not just on technical expertise but also on trust, integrity, and a deep commitment to the communities we call home,” said Kathleen Mulhern, Brand Manager. That commitment lives and breathes through Bonfe Cares, our internal initiative dedicated to giving back in thoughtful, practical, and personal ways.”

The Bonfe Cares program focuses on partnering with Twin Cities community organizations, offering supportive initiatives year-round, and directing donations to neighbors who need them most. In August, Bonfe collected new school supplies for a donation drive; this winter, Bonfe Cares is focused on another seasonal drive.

“By embedding giving into our daily operations, we make it easy for our team and our customers to support neighbors facing real challenges — and we do it in a way that’s organized, intentional, and deeply aligned with our values," said Jess Jimoh, Marketing Leader.

Sharing Warmth This Winter

Keep Our Neighbors Warm is Bonfe Cares’ annual winter gear drive and will run through Nov. 22.

The company is collecting coats and jackets, boots, gloves and mittens, snow pants, hats, and scarves for adults and kids who need warm clothes to stay comfortable at school or work throughout the winter. Minneapolis is projected to be one of the snowiest cities in America this winter (second only to Buffalo, New York), meaning residents will need all the weatherproof outerwear they can access.

“For kids, having the proper gear means showing up to school warm, safe, and ready to learn — without the embarrassment of wearing ill-fitting or inadequate clothing," said Mulhern. “It means being able to play outside, wait for the bus, and participate in winter activities like every other kid.”

Bonfe has two donation options for anyone interested in participating:

  • Bonfe customers can hand donations directly to a service technician at a scheduled maintenance or repair appointment before Nov. 22.
    • Non-customers or anyone without a service scheduled before Nov. 22 can drop off donations in a bin outside Bonfe’s office at 455 Hardman Ave. S., South St. Paul.

      The 2025 drive is Bonfe Cares’ third annual Keep Our Neighbors Warm initiative, a streak driven by the tremendous success of last year’s event. In 2024, Bonfe Cares collected more than 1,500 eligible items from donations; this year, the company is aiming for 1,650 items.

      Bonfe Cares is intentional with donations, which go to nine local partners that are already connected with various Twin Cities communities. These organizations — which serve everyone from vulnerable youth to veterans — distribute the Keep Our Neighbors Warm gear directly to neighbors in need, and include:

      Starting at Home

      Bonfe Cares projects like Keep Our Neighbors Warm are sustainable not just because of generous community donations, but because of the company’s own commitment to participation.

      During Keep Our Neighbors Warm, Bonfe matches eligible donations with the purchase of new socks, which are one of their partners’ most requested items. In winter 2024, the matching program resulted in the donation of 1,500 pairs of socks.

      The company’s internal Bonfe Cares Committee sorts through all winter wear donations — some of which are from Bonfe employees — by hand, ensuring that only eligible contributions make it to Bonfe partners. These team members categorize every donation by size and gender, then make sure every community partner gets exactly the supplies they’ve asked for.

      “Our Keep Our Neighbors Warm drive is not just about giving — it’s about restoring dignity, creating access, and helping people feel seen," said Jimoh. “The folks we serve aren’t abstract statistics. They’re our neighbors and community members. And many are facing circumstances that make something as simple as a warm coat feel out of reach.”

      Interested in participating in ongoing Bonfe Cares initiatives? Keep an eye on the program on Bonfe’s site or Facebook page.