Roll Out The Warmth

A partnership in Fond du Lac will see to it that 150 sleeping bags will be distributed to the homeless. Firefighters and paramedics will do that on their shifts also handing out dental and personal hygiene products that were donated. Fire Chief Peter O’Leary says he borrowed the idea from a firefighter in Nashville, Tennessee who launched a similar effort on his own. O’Leary says he knew corporate sponsors would jump on board the “Roll Out the Warmth” effort. He says the effort will give them the chance to prevent people from getting exposure to the cold and they are thrilled about that.  Agnesian HealthCare Foundation provided $2,500 of the $4,000 donated to buy the sleeping bags from Target Stores at a discounted price. Holly Brenner of the Foundation says the effort fits right in with Agnesian’s mission. She says having the sleeping bags and hygiene kits and being able to have them available wherever they are needed and whenever they needed for the people who need them the most is extremely fulfilling to them. Fond du Lac Firefighters Local 400 and the Professional Firefighters of Wisconsin donated another $1,500 for the effort. The Fond du Lac County Health Department’s Oral Health program was able to get local dentists to donate hundreds of toothbrushes, tubes of toothpaste and dental floss as well. Target also donated some deodorant. 

Pictured in the photo above left to right Todd Shippee of Fond du Lac Firefighters Local 400, Agnesian HealthCare Foundation Board Chairman Jack Twohig, Andrew Aird of  Firefighters Local 400, Holly Brenner President of the Agnesian HealthCare Foundation, Samantha Twohig of the Fond du Lac County Health Department, and Grant Kapka of Target Stores. 

Left to right Grant Kapka of Target, Samantha Twohig of the Fond du Lac County Health Department, Jack Twohig Chairman of the Board of the Agnesian HealthCare Foundation, Holly Brenner President of Agnesian HealthCare Foundation, Andrew Aird of Fond du Lac Firefighters Local 400, and Fond du Lac Fire Chief Peter O’Leary.