For many, the summer heat may not be an issue that they think twice about. For others, like children, seniors, and people with disabilities, hot weather can cause major problems.
Central Ohioans who don’t have fans or air conditioning units have difficulty cooling their homes in the summer, sometimes dealing with temperatures of 90 degrees or more. The heat isn’t just uncomfortable; it can also cause heat strokes, which can result in death.
LifeCare Alliance helps central Ohio residents in the summer months with our Beat the Heat Fan Campaign. This annual event provides fans free of cost. Here’s how the process works:
Donating a Fan
Anyone can donate a fan to LifeCare Alliance’s Beat the Heat Fan Campaign. Drop them off at your nearest fire station or at our meal distribution facility at 670 Harmon Ave. Volunteers and staff members pick up the fans from fire stations and bring them back to our Harmon location. Ahead of our distribution events, our team prepares fans by labeling them as donated and loading them onto racks.
You can even donate a fan without leaving your house. Using our Amazon Wish List, donors can order fans and have them delivered directly to LifeCare Alliance.
Fan Campaign Kickoff Event
To kick off our annual campaign, LifeCare Alliance teams up each year with Lowe’s Home Improvement, 2345 Silver Drive, for a donation drive. Lowe’s donates the first 100 box fans, while customers may donate fans right in the store parking lot from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Our media partner, WBNS-10TV, will help get the word out about this important campaign to assist people right here in our community.
Receiving a Fan
Once LifeCare Alliance receives and prepares enough fans, we schedule our first distribution event.
To receive a fan, you need to first find out when our distribution events are. By calling our Beat the Heat Hotline, at 614-437-2870, you can learn when the next distribution event will take place. A recorded message will confirm whether or not a fan distribution event is scheduled for the day of your call. Please keep checking the hotline until we schedule our next distribution event.
Because the Beat the Heat Fan Campaign is powered by fan donations, we cannot provide fan distribution event dates in advance.
Distribution Event Procedures & Eligibility
Each fan distribution event will take place at 670 Harmon Ave. Please bring government-issued picture ID, such a driver’s license or passport, or proof of central Ohio residency. Park your car, and enter through Carrie’s Café doors. Fan distributions will be held inside Carrie’s café. Staff/volunteers will hand you a fan receipt to fill out. Once your fan receipt is filled out, please take a seat and wait for your number, listed on the fan receipt to be called. Staff/volunteers will be available to help you load your fan in your vehicle if needed.
Anyone in central Ohio who needs a fan is eligible to receive one. Because quantities are limited, only a small number of fans are available per household.
If you need a fan but are unable to attend one of our distribution events, we may still be able to help. You may send a proxy (such as a friend or family member) to attend the distribution in your place. That person must present your identification or proof of address in order to receive a fan or fans for you. If you are a LifeCare Alliance client who receives Meals-on-Wheels, you may call the Meals-on-Wheels office to request a fan delivery when your meal is delivered. LifeCare Alliance is unable to provide fan deliveries to the general public.
Why We Do It
Having just one fan in a room can help lower the temperature by ten degrees! It’s not just about comfort; it could also save lives. LifeCare Alliance thanks all of the generous members of our community who donate fans each year, and encourages anyone in need of assistance to attend one of our distribution events. For more information and to contact our team, please visit our Beat the Heat Fan Campaign homepage.
—By Mason McHugh, LifeCare Alliance
