Isaac’s Room, located in Salem, Oregon, is more than a nonprofit – it’s a lifeline. Founded over 25 years ago by Mark and Tiffany Bulgin, the organization was born out of personal tragedy: the loss of their infant son, Isaac. In his memory, the Bulgins transformed their home into a haven for young people facing immense challenges, including experiences with foster care, the juvenile justice system or disrupted education. Their mission is simple and powerful: “We help divested young people build the capacity to rise to the challenges of life.”

Today, Isaac’s Room provides safe, affordable housing and job training for young adults ages 18 to 24, empowering them to find stability and purpose. At their two coffee shop locations, Ike Box and Isaac’s Downtown, participants gain valuable work experience and earn a paycheck – critical steps on the path to self-sufficiency. They also operate two transitional housing facilities that offer supportive, structured living environments where young people can rebuild their lives.

Kelly Carlisle, Isaac’s Room’s director of operations, plays a key role in ensuring everything runs smoothly. One of his biggest recent challenges was an aging boiler in their 100-year-old transitional housing property that struggled to keep up during Salem’s cold winters. “Youth living in the house were often cold,” Carlisle recalls. “That was unacceptable, especially when we’re trying to create a place where they feel safe and supported.”

Committed to find a lasting solution, Isaac’s Room partnered with Energy Trust of Oregon and consulted Trade Ally contractor CJ Hansen. Rather than replacing the entire heating system, they made a smart, cost-effective upgrade by swapping the outdated oil boiler tank with a high-efficiency condensing gas boiler and converting the existing radiators to natural gas. This approach preserved much of the original system while significantly improving both energy efficiency and reliability.

The results speak for themselves. “The fact that the youth no longer mention being cold, shows that the heat in the house is more even and reliable,” says Kelly. “That’s a win in my book.”

Beyond comfort, the upgrade brought financial relief, Isaac’s Room received a $2,600 cash incentive and is now saving about $600 annually on energy bills.

“If we’re spending less on energy costs, it gives us greater capacity to support our youth with those same dollars. We’re just a single operating non-profit so for every dollar that we bring in, we are trying to spend as much of that dollar on the youth and as little on everything else.” – Kelly Carlisle, Isaac’s Room’s director of operations

However, success at Isaac’s Room isn’t just measured in dollars saved or upgrades completed – it’s seen in the lives changed. “The big successes are seen in watching our youth move beyond the coffee shop and youth program to the next step in life and career,” says Carlisle. “Moving onto the next thing is a great big celebration. It’s our youth that we celebrate most.”

As they continue to grow, Isaac’s Room plans to make more energy-efficient improvements, including upgrading insulation during a roof replacement at their Ike Box coffee shop. These improvements not only help them better support the youth they serve, but they also model sustainable choices young people can carry with them.  And they show other nonprofits and affordable housing providers that energy efficiency isn’t just practical, it’s mission-aligned. It helps save money, improves comfort and creates a lasting impact.

For information about cash incentives for energy-saving equipment upgrades, visit our website or get started by contacting us at multifamily@energytrust.org. Together, we can help organizations like yours save energy and support a future full of opportunity.