SIOUX CITY (KTIV) – With fall now in full swing, temperatures will soon be dropping across Siouxland. While many people are focused on upcoming holidays and festivities, some are worried about how they’ll keep themselves and their families warm.
On Tuesday, the Community Action Agency of Siouxland and Kalins Indoor Comfort joined together to provide one Sioux City family with warmth, air conditioning, and peace of mind heading into winter.
Kalins Indoor Comfort in Sioux City has been providing heating and cooling services to the tri-state area for over 100 years. They’ve dealt with Lennox products for over 75 years, and that partnership was on full display Tuesday when Kalin’s gave one Sioux City family brand new heating and air conditioning units as part of Lennox’s Feel The Love program.
“I’ve always felt, and my family’s always felt that it’s our part to give back to the community, our responsibility to give back to the community,” said Bruce Kalin, President of Kalins Indoor Comfort. “So it’s a great opportunity. Here’s a family that did not have a working furnace, facing winter not knowing what to do. And so it’s a great opportunity to provide them with a new furnace and a new air conditioner as well.”
And for the family receiving the new units, it’s a weight off their shoulders with winter quickly approaching.
“We were relieved,” said Patrick Erickson, recipient of the new units. “We didn’t know what we were going to do.”
“We were completely surprised, and we couldn’t believe it,” said Leeta Erickson, recipient of the new units. “And just absolute happiness and relief.”
The Feel The Love program began in 2009 and was brought to Kalins’ attention around three years ago. This is the second project they’re completing as a part of the program, which provides both the units and the installation at no cost to the recipients.
The receiving family gets chosen by the Community Action Agency of Siouxland after submitting an application. Agency leaders say the project is a testament to the tight-knit local community.
“I think this is one of the ways that really demonstrates to everybody what a wonderful community Sioux City is,” said Jean Logan, Executive Director of the Community Action Agency of Siouxland. “To have a local business like Kalin’s help a family with a furnace replacement, it’s just such a large thing to do for a household. And it’s such a necessary thing to do where we live.”
For the Ericksons, the help couldn’t have come at a more fitting time.
“This was my father’s house,” said Patrick. “And he passed away. And I think it would mean a lot to him–his birthday’s Thursday–and I think it would’ve meant a lot to him to have this done.”
Installation is expected to be fully complete by Oct. 15, well in time for the winter.
If you or someone you know is in a difficult financial situation and needs assistance with their heating or cooling systems, you can submit an application for relief through the Community Action Agency of Siouxland’s website.
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