Four years ago, I made an acquaintance with Shary.
- Shary had been volunteering and fostering dogs and cats for our local rescue organization for fifteen years.
A single woman for most of her adult life, she lived on a limited income. But she was never without a dog or cat that she was foster parenting until she found a forever family worthy of her ‘child’. It came to my attention earlier this year that Shary had no air conditioning in her home. It certainly made sense, as the cost of installation was beyond her means. It bothered me enough that I decided to contact an HVAC contractor to inquire about the cost of installing central air conditioning in her home. Naturally, he could only give me a ballpark estimate, as he hadn’t been to Shary’s home to determine what her furnace and ductwork consisted of. The estimate that he gave me seemed reasonable. Next I communicated with several folks whose lives had been touched by Shary’s love and generosity for rescue animals. I know that our family certainly was touched when we adopted one of her foster dogs. We never could forget her, and continued our communication with her over the years. The people that we contacted about donating to the cause of installing central air conditioning in Shary’s home were thrilled at the idea of giving back to the woman who had given so much to others. In no time at all, we had raised enough donations and pledges to employ the HVAC contractor. I can only imagine the surprised response that he must have received when he knocked on Shary’s door and informed her that he was there to install central air conditioning in her home – at no cost to her.