OGDEN, UTAH (ABC 4 News)- An Ogden family will wake up tomorrow to floors warm enough to step on, and will enjoy breakfast together without bundling up. ABC 4 took action, and along with Heart 2 Home, and Action Plumbing, Heating and Air, gave a deserving family a new furnace for Christmas.
ABC 4 first introduced you to Jason and Jennifer Callister on Christmas Eve. They were selected from hundreds of nominations. The couple has three children, two with special needs. Medical bills, plumbing problems, and other home repairs made a furnace out of their reach. They were without a working furnace for two years.
The noise coming from the Callister's basement heralded the gift literally full of warmth. David Makoni from Action Plumbing, Heating and Air says it will fight the cold he was feeling during the installation in the home. "You can see my breath down here right now."
Jennifer Callister says initially they battled electrical problems in their home that made the furnace unreliable. "We had some switches we had to keep flipping, and that wasn't working real well, and then it completely died."
For two years the couple has worked hard to save money for a new one, but medical expenses for their two youngest children got in the way. Meanwhile, the family resorted to portable kerosene and electric heaters. “I just worry about the kids. I want to make sure they get good nights sleep and they are warm and safe."
During the day the family bundled up, but worried about what was happening to the house around them.” We can cuddle up and do our best to stay warm, have lots of hot chocolate, but I was kind of worried about, great, what if a pipe bursts and causes a whole different problem?"
The worries came to an end with a letter sent by Jennifer's Boss. It was a winning letter that told of the Callister’s hard work and generosity.
Makoni says as they were going through nomination letters the Callister’s letter stood out. "We were told that she is always helping other people and so decided why not help her out."
Jennifer says the gift was unexpected, and removed a burden of stress and worry from the family.
“I can't even express my gratitude. I am so thankful. It's humbling to be the recipient of something like this."
Now the family can rest easy, and live normally, even in the winter months.
"I can't wait to get out of bed in morning and not have to make sure I have socks on before I touch the floor."
ABC 4 would like to thank our partners, Heart 2 Home, and Action Heating, Plumbing and Air, for making this gift possible for the Callister family.
