SPOKANE, Wash. – Tradition continued in Spokane County this week as Greater Spokane County Meals on Wheels handed out free fans to the elderly population amid eastern Washington’s record-breaking heat wave.
The need is great across the Inland Northwest to find ways to cool down as temperatures surpass 100 degrees, and a lot of the time, during heat waves, that need is even greater for older people who often don’t have the resources to help themselves.
Jeremiah Keevy, the development director for Greater Spokane County Meals on Wheels, gave out fans to folks visiting the Spokane Valley Senior Center on Monday.
“What the drive is all about is about getting cooling needs out to seniors,” Keevy said.
For Lana Prochnow, it was just her lucky day; she just moved back to Spokane from North Carolina and is living in a mobile home with her husband. Yet, that mobile home came with no AC, and in this triple digit heat, Prochnow’s living situation has quickly become extremely hot; the temperature inside her home is almost as hot as the air outside.
A temperature gauge provided a clear picture to the couple.
“And it said it was 94 degrees [inside]… so anyway, this was on our shopping list today to go buy a fan to put in the window at night,” Prochnow said.
Meals on Wheels has carried on this tradition for years in Spokane County. This year, with the first major heat wave coming as early as July, they’re running a bit low on fans heading into the rest of the summer.
“So, every donation is appreciated… if it’s an old fan that barely works, if it turns on, we’ll take it,” Keevy said.
The organization is accepting donations if you would like to help. You can donate a fan you already have and don’t use, or you can go to their website to find other ways to donate.
