ORLANDO, Fla., April 23, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- How do you leverage the power and the reach of the largest home services provider in North America to help tiny babies and children in hospitals? For Clockwork Home Services it comes down to a very local approach.

Today in Orlando, the parent company of Benjamin Franklin Plumbing®, One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning® and Mister Sparky® electric announced a new partnership with Children's Miracle Network Hospitals (CMN Hospitals). The announcement came during Clockwork Home Services' annual convention.

The company has a network of franchises in more than 600 territories across North America. This partnership will be unique. Typically, charity partners collect donations from customers at cash registers in stores. With this initiative, when one of the brands' service technicians are doing repairs or maintenance in customers' homes, they can simply add a donation to the final invoice.

"Our goal is to improve the lives of families by providing the best home comfort and service possible. By partnering with CMN Hospitals, we are expanding on this commitment by helping save and improve the lives of children throughout the communities where our valued customers live, " said Mark Baker, president of franchise for Clockwork Home Services. "All the money raised will stay in the local community where it is donated and there is a member CMN Hospital serving every area we operate in," adds Baker.

"We are thrilled to be embarking on this partnership with the Clockwork Home Services brands," said John Lauck, president and CEO of Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. "Our member hospitals rely on community support in order to provide the best care for kids in each community and Clockwork Home Services is giving its customers the opportunity to have that direct impact on area kids."

To kick off the partnership, each brand donated $1,000 to CMN Hospitals. Franchise owners also donated their time during the annual convention to make more than 500 overnight kits with essentials for parents who have to stay at a CMN Hospital while their child is receiving care.

About Clockwork Home Services: Clockwork Home Services is part of Direct Energy Services -Direct Energy is an integrated provider of electricity, natural gas products and home services. Direct Energy's brands operate in 46 states in the United States and 10 provinces in Canada. One of Direct Energy's lines of business, Direct Energy Services is North America's largest home services provider and offers a wide range of services to homes and businesses including HVAC, plumbing, home improvements, and water heater and electrical appliance services for residential customers through our service brands including Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, Mister Sparky Electric, One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning and Airtron.

About Children's Miracle Network Hospitals

Children's Miracle Network Hospitals® raises funds and awareness for 170 member hospitals that provide 32 million treatments each year to kids across the U.S. and Canada. Donations stay local to fund critical treatments and healthcare services, pediatric medical equipment and charitable care. Since 1983, Children's Miracle Network Hospitals has raised more than $5 billion, most of it $1 at a time through the charity's Miracle Balloon icon. Its various fundraising partners and programs support the nonprofit's mission to save and improve the lives of as many children as possible. Find out why children's hospitals need community support, identify your member hospital and learn how you can Put Your Money Where the Miracles Are, at CMNHospitals.org and facebook.com/CMNHospitals.

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SOURCE Direct Energy