Lexington Business Gives Six Families New Furnaces

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ)- Just imagine coping with bitterly cold temperatures in a home with little or no heat.  A Lexington business is making sure six deserving families won’t know that hardship this winter.

Fayette Heating and Air is providing furnaces for the families as part of its annual ‘Gift of Heat’ program. Through the campaign, people nominate families in need of heat. Fayette Heating and Air says it had 200 applicants this year. The six finalists who were selected found out Friday that they would each receive a new furnace.

One of the winners is Mary Foster. She says, “My daughter sleeps in her coat. She has a little heater in her room, like a little unit. And then my mom has a heater…She’s sick, so I take care of her…We’ve all been sleeping with our coats on and with little heaters, so it’s been hard.”

The ‘Gift of Heat’ program is now in its 10th year.

Fayette Heating and Air President Bret Melrose says, “Being able to provide heat for somebody… it’s a staple of life. It’s something we don’t even think about.”

Melrose says the new furnaces will be installed for the families next week.