Onslow County Senior Services puts on Operation Fan Heat Relief Program

JACKSONVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) — Onslow County Senior Services is helping its residents beat the heat with their Operation Fan Heat Relief Program.

Anyone 60 or order or living with a disability and having an issue cooling down can go to the senior center for a free box fan. All they have to do is show a photo ID to prove that they live in the county and didn’t get a fan last year.

The center purchases dozens of box fans and accepts donations for more. Senior center Supervisor Shelly Ashley says they gotten over 200 fans and have given out nearly 100.

“Its very important for the community because the seniors are vulnerable. They’re very vulnerable. We actually know we’d love for them to come here to our center because it is cooled off, you know, when we do activities here. But we try to encourage them to go somewhere where it’s cool if it’s not at home. And so it’s very important to keep them cool because we don’t want hospitalization,” said Ashley.

Ashley says that the program will continue until they run out of fans or when the hot weather finally breaks.

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