$4,200 Raised for Children and Open-Source Smart Home Technology
We're proud to announce that through sales of our H-2 Holiday Ornament, Apollo Automation has donated $2,700 to CASA of Lexington and $1,500 to the Open Home Foundation. This represents 100% of profits from every H-2 sold, totaling $4,200 in charitable contributions supporting vulnerable children in Kentucky's foster care system and the future of open-source smart home technology.
This achievement wouldn't be possible without our incredible community. Every person who purchased an H-2 smart home ornament directly supported these meaningful causes while adding a functional, beautiful device to their Home Assistant setup.
Donate Here: https://apolloautomation.com/products/apollo-h-2-annual-holiday-ornament
Supporting CASA of Lexington: $2,700 for Foster Children
What is CASA of Lexington?
CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) of Lexington trains and supervises community volunteers who advocate for abused and neglected children in Kentucky's foster care system. These volunteers work directly with children, ensuring their voices are heard in court and that they have safe, permanent homes.
Why CASA Matters
In Central Kentucky, thousands of children enter the foster care system each year due to abuse, neglect, or family crisis. CASA volunteers provide consistency and advocacy during one of the most challenging periods in these children's lives. They:
- Meet regularly with children to understand their needs and wishes
- Gather information from families, schools, and service providers
- Make recommendations to judges about what's best for each child
- Ensure children receive necessary services and support
- Stay with cases until children find permanent, safe homes
Our $2,700 Impact
Our $2,700 donation to CASA of Lexington directly supports:
- Volunteer recruitment and training programs
- Background checks and screening processes
- Ongoing volunteer supervision and support
- Educational resources for advocates
- Administrative costs that keep the program running
As a Versailles, Kentucky-based company, supporting vulnerable children in our local community aligns perfectly with Apollo's values. We believe in creating positive change where we live and work.
Supporting Open Home Foundation: $1,500 for Open-Source Smart Homes
What is the Open Home Foundation?
The Open Home Foundation is the nonprofit organization behind Home Assistant, ESPHome, and over 250 open standards, drivers, and libraries. Their mission is to ensure smart home technology remains private, local, and free from corporate control forever.
Why Open Home Foundation Matters
In an era where smart home companies routinely:
- Shut down cloud services, bricking perfectly good hardware
- Collect and sell user data
- Require monthly subscriptions for basic features
- Lock users into proprietary ecosystems
The Open Home Foundation fights to keep smart homes:
- Private - Your data stays in YOUR home
- Local - No cloud dependencies or internet requirements
- Sustainable - Hardware works forever, not until a company decides otherwise
- Open - No vendor lock-in or proprietary control
Our $1,500 Impact
Our $1,500 donation to the Open Home Foundation supports:
- Continued ESPHome and Home Assistant development
- Infrastructure costs for hosting and maintenance
- Community resources and documentation
- New features and protocol support
- Keeping these projects free and open-source forever
As the Open Home Foundation's second commercial partner (alongside Nabu Casa) and the first company to bring ESPHome devices into the Works With Home Assistant certification program, this donation represents our commitment to the ecosystem that made Apollo Automation possible.
The H-2 Holiday Ornament: Charity Through Innovation
A Smart Home Ornament with Purpose
The H-2 Holiday Ornament isn't just a decoration. It's a fully functional smart home device featuring:
- Works With Home Assistant certified - Official certification
- Made for ESPHome - Open-source firmware
- Programmable RGB LEDs - Custom animations and colors
- Wi-Fi connectivity - Seamless smart home integration
- Local control - No cloud, no subscriptions
- USB-C powered - Modern, reliable connection
- Kentucky-made - Designed and assembled in Versailles, KY
100% of Profits to Charity
From the beginning, we committed that 100% of H-2 profits would support charity. Not revenue, not a percentage - every dollar of profit from H-2 sales went directly to CASA of Lexington and the Open Home Foundation.
This model allows customers to:
- Get a functional, beautiful smart home device
- Support vulnerable children in foster care
- Advance open-source smart home technology
- Vote with their wallets for local control and privacy
Why Charitable Giving Matters to Apollo Automation
Kentucky Values, Global Impact
Apollo Automation was founded in Versailles, Kentucky with a mission beyond just building sensors. We believe businesses have a responsibility to:
Support local communities - Our CASA donation stays right here in Central Kentucky, helping children in our own backyard.
Give back to open-source - ESPHome and Home Assistant gave us everything we needed to start. Supporting the Open Home Foundation ensures future makers have the same opportunities.
Create sustainable business models - Proving that privacy-first, locally-controlled devices can succeed commercially while supporting charitable causes.
Build things worth building - Products that respect user privacy, work locally, and contribute to causes larger than ourselves.
Manufacturing with Purpose
Every Apollo device is designed, engineered, and assembled in Versailles, Kentucky. We're creating high-tech manufacturing jobs in Central Appalachia while building products that align with our values:
- 100% local control with no cloud dependencies
- No subscriptions or recurring fees
- Open-source hardware and firmware
- Privacy-first design principles
- Charitable initiatives that matter
Community Impact: Thank You
This Achievement Belongs to All of Us
The $4,200 donated to CASA of Lexington and the Open Home Foundation represents more than sales figures. It represents a community that:
Chose privacy over convenience - You could buy cloud-dependent devices anywhere, but you chose local control.
Supported small manufacturing - You chose a Kentucky startup over established corporations.
Believed in open-source - You valued ESPHome and Home Assistant integration.
Made charity a priority - You purchased H-2 ornaments knowing every profit dollar supported important causes.
Real Stories, Real Impact
For CASA of Lexington: Our $2,700 helps train volunteers who will advocate for dozens of children throughout 2026. These children will have consistent support as they navigate court systems, foster placements, and the search for permanent homes.
For Open Home Foundation: Our $1,500 contributes to infrastructure that serves millions of Home Assistant users worldwide, ensuring smart home technology remains free, private, and locally controlled for years to come.
Looking Forward: Continued Charitable Commitment
Annual H-Series Ornaments
The H-2 is our 2025 annual ornament. We're committed to continuing this tradition:
Future H-series devices will maintain the 100% profit to charity model, supporting causes that align with our values.
New charitable partnerships may emerge as we grow, always focusing on local Kentucky impact and open-source technology support.
Transparent reporting will continue - you'll always know exactly how much we donate and where it goes.
Growing Our Impact
As Apollo Automation grows, so does our ability to support meaningful causes:
- Larger donations through increased sales
- Additional charitable products beyond ornaments
- Volunteer time and expertise contributions
- Community partnerships and sponsorships
- Educational initiatives supporting Kentucky STEM programs
How You Can Continue Supporting These Causes
Direct Donations
If you'd like to support these organizations directly:
CASA of Lexington
- Website: casaoflexington.org
- Volunteer opportunities available
- Direct donations support volunteer training and advocacy
Open Home Foundation
- Support through Home Assistant Cloud subscriptions
- Direct donations at openhomefoundation.org
- Contribute to open-source projects on GitHub
Purchase Apollo Products
Every Apollo Automation product supports our mission of privacy-first, locally-controlled smart home technology:
AIR-1 Air Quality Monitor - Comprehensive environmental monitoring
MSR-2 Presence Sensor - Ultra-compact mmWave detection
MTR-1 Multi-Target Radar - Track multiple people across zones
BTN-1 Macro Deck - Modular control interface
M-1 LED Matrix - Programmable display
All devices feature 100% local control with no cloud dependencies or subscriptions, manufactured in Versailles, Kentucky.
Why Local Control and Privacy Matter
Recent Smart Home Controversies
Recent news reinforces why organizations like the Open Home Foundation are critical:
Chamberlain garage door openers shifting to encrypted protocols that block local control, forcing cloud subscriptions.
Smart toilet cameras with misleading "end-to-end encryption" claims that actually process images on company servers.
Neato vacuum cloud shutdown threatening to brick thousands of devices until community developers created local control solutions.
iRobot bankruptcy raising concerns about Roomba cloud service continuity.
These stories prove that local control isn't just a preference - it's essential for device longevity and user privacy.
Apollo Automation's Commitment
Building a Better Smart Home Future
Our donations to CASA of Lexington and the Open Home Foundation represent Apollo Automation's commitment to:
Local Kentucky communities - Supporting vulnerable children and creating high-tech manufacturing jobs in Central Appalachia.
Open-source ecosystems - Ensuring ESPHome, Home Assistant, and privacy-first technology remain accessible forever.
Sustainable business practices - Proving that companies can succeed while prioritizing privacy, local control, and charitable giving.
Transparent operations - Sharing exactly how much we donate, where it goes, and the impact it creates.
Thank You for Making This Possible
From everyone at Apollo Automation, thank you for supporting the H-2 Holiday Ornament and making these donations possible. Together, we:
✅ Donated $2,700 to CASA of Lexington supporting foster children
✅ Donated $1,500 to Open Home Foundation advancing open-source smart homes
✅ Proved charitable business models can succeed
✅ Built a community that values privacy, local control, and giving back
This is just the beginning. We're excited to continue growing Apollo Automation while supporting causes that matter.
Join us in 2026 as we build more, give more, and prove that smart home technology can be private, local, and charitable.
Apollo Automation designs, engineers, and manufactures privacy-first smart home sensors in Versailles, Kentucky. All products feature 100% local control with no cloud dependencies or subscriptions. Learn more at apolloautomation.com.
Tags: CASA of Lexington donation, Open Home Foundation donation, charitable smart home company, Apollo Automation charity, H-2 Holiday Ornament, foster care support Kentucky, open-source smart home donation, privacy-first IoT, local control smart home, Kentucky manufacturing charity, Works With Home Assistant, Made For ESPHome, smart home giving back
