Online donations help family fix furnace in time for winter
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – Many will have the heat in their homes cranked up during this cold weather, something one local family isn’t taking for granted.
Cliff Pappe’s furnace needed repairs all the way back to last summer.
Getting it fixed wasn’t the problem; it was trying to scrounge up the money to pay for the job.
If laughter warms the soul, then the Pappe family should haven’t a problem this winter. But just in case, they’ve got the heat turned up too.
“My wife likes it comfortable at a warmer temperature,” he said turning the thermostat past 68 degrees.
Pappe can’t control the temperature outside, but at one point he couldn’t control it in his home either.
The furnace was busted right at the same time medical bills were piling up for his daughter Gracyn.
“She had a tethered spinal cord, had some nerve damage from some past surgeries,” he said.
Money was tight and he said it felt like they were living paycheck to paycheck at times.
So he took a chance on a website called ModestNeeds.org.
On the site, people explain how they’re going through tough times, maybe needing help with a car payment or bill. Those asking for help need to fall under a certain income or be a veteran or active service member. Pappe has been a member of the National Guard for 15 years and now serves as a chaplain.
In a matter of months the donations rolled in, all coming from complete strangers touched by his story.
“Then one day they sent me an email and said your goal has been met, so it was a relief,” he said.
“We are thrilled,” said Sonya Barash, Vice President of Marketing and Outreach for Modest Needs. “We’re so happy and that’s exactly the kind of situation that we need to be aware of throughout the year.”
You could always feel the warmth around Pappe’s family, but it helps having the temperature to match it.
“It was humbling to know that other people out there are willing to just give,” he said.
To request help to make a donation on ModestNeeds.org, click here!