BONNYVILLE – In a time where generosity feels hard to come by a yearly project carried out by Precision Heat and Cool has made a world of difference for one Bonnyville family.
Feel the Love is a partnership project that provides Lennox heating and cooling equipment and donated labour from local technicians and a certified Lennox dealer.
Each fall, Precision Heat and Cool sorts through the nominations of deserving community members who could benefit from an upgraded furnace.
This year, Bonnyville resident Sarah Richard was chosen by Precision to “Feel the Love” and had the new equipment installed on Oct. 13.
“I was really blown away and honoured that Janet [Willcock] and Kelsey [Jeannotte] thought to nominate me. I started crying when she called me and told me. It was really overwhelming, and I felt such immense gratitude,” Richard told Lakeland This Week. “It is a life-changing thing for sure.”
Richard and her children moved into their house in May of 2022. When she bought the house, the furnace was something that was on her radar.
“It was original to the house, almost 40 years old, and I knew that was something coming down the line sooner rather than later. So, I was trying to brace myself as best I could for that,” she said.
If Richard had not been the recipient of this year’s Feel the Love project, the cost of the equipment, installation and labour would have been just over $14,000.
Instead, the labour was donated by local technicians, and her new furnace and central air system was provided by Lennox, the company responsible for the North American initiative.
Richard’s new furnace will be 96 per cent efficient, helping the mother of three save on energy costs as she heats and cools her home.
Caring for others
When asked why she was nominated, Richard directed all the credit to her friends who nominated her. “They are very kind people,” she said.
But for Richard to be selected it had far more to do with who she is than simply those who nominated her.
“I think because they have known some of my story and how the last few years of my life have looked and how hard I've worked to be able to get my own place,” shared Richard. “The last several years of my life have been just full-on survival mode and just struggling. I'm really proud that I got to the point where I was able to provide an actual home for my children, not a rental.”
Jeannotte added, “I have known Sarah for 15 years. I nominated her for this because of all of the things that she's been through. I wouldn't pick anybody else.”
Richard has a special gift for making life better for others, continued Jeannotte. “She really cares for her family and her friends and especially for her kids.”
With the relief of having a new furnace that will continue to work through the harshest periods of the Canadian winter, Richard says being the recipient of the Feel the Love project has made a huge impact on her life.
“Knowing that this is something else that's off my plate, just relieves that little bit of pressure. Now I can help out at their school, I can go to these sporting events, because it's not like I'm walking on eggshells wondering, ‘Oh, what if this goes? And how can I be prepared for all those things’,” Richard said.
But Richard is not the only one excited about the changes.
“The kids are pumped actually. They are so excited about it. They were like, ‘Mom, you said we’re getting air conditioning? Is that the whole house?’,” she recounted, with a laugh. “They were just in awe... The house last summer was consistently between 26 and 30 Celsius. It was hot.”
While Richard was anxious leading up to the big day, by the end she said the whole experience was amazing and felt like a family event.
Friends and community members came out to lend a hand with household chores like raking leaves, trimming trees and smaller tasks around the house. Lunch was also donated by Lakeland Grill.
“It feels like a family, and that's awesome that people that you just meet can make you feel that loved,” she said. “I'm already thinking who I can nominate for next year.”
Nominations open now
Nominations for the Feel the Love project can be submitted at any time through the website www.feelthelove.com. Those submissions are reviewed locally, leading up to the fall season.
“You can nominate as many people as you want because the story of that person is what we are looking at,” explained Tracy Ohland Cintado, the marketing and service coordinator for Precision Heat and Cool.
Nominations are so important to reach those in the community who are truly deserving, noted Ohland Cintado.
