Horizon House: Feel the Love program

Maple Plumbing & Heating team: From the left are Mary Anne Birchall, Andrew Wajuntah, Charles Guenther, John Andreas and Ryan Thompson.

By Marcus Day

Maple Creek News

Love and laughter abound at Horizon House.

Winter warmth will also be in plentiful supply, and when summer comes around again, there should be lots of cool air … without the worry of mechanical breakdowns.

Life at the Maple Creek & District Opportunities home has just got even better thanks to the Lennox Industries’ “Feel The Love” program, which brings free heating and cooling equipment to deserving people in need.

As a Lennox dealer and program partner, Maple Plumbing & Heating have installed two furnaces, and an air conditioner, at Horizon House, donating time and labour. The equipment was supplied by Lennox.

Normally, such a job, including hardware, would be costly.

Now staff and residents at the licensed group home can look forward to the chillier months without the stress of worrying about an ageing furnace breaking down.

On Friday afternoon, staff, residents and Maple Plumbing & Heating employees gathered at Horizon House to mark the new installations at the property, which could be seen as an early Christmas present.

John Andreas, owner of Maple Plumbing & Heating, said: “The town of Maple Creek has been very good to us over the years.

“In some small way, it is really good that we can give back something.

“We need to thank Lennox Industries because that was a team effort from them and all my crew donated their time to help do this, and we are just thankful that in some small way we can give back to the community.”

Caroline Clark, executive director of Maple Creek & District Opportunities, thanked Maple Plumbing & Heating for being supportive through the years.

“They have always been so good to us. If we need something, they are right here, and they have always taken care of the clients, if something is going on … they always have our backs.”

Clark spoke of the importance of a reliable heat source to the residents.

“It is nice to get something that helps us a lot.”

ABOUT MAPLE CREEK & DISTRICT OPPORTUNITIES

Maple Creek & District Opportunities Inc. is a nonprofit, charitable organization governed by a volunteer board of directors who are invested in providing housing and support services to adults with a developmental disability.

At Horizon, staff aim to generate a family atmosphere.

They also work to maximize the potential of adults with a developmental disability by teaching and assisting them with housekeeping, menu planning, shopping, cooking, budgeting, banking, laundry, employment, health, hygiene, communication, public transportation, and other personal skills at both our day centre and group home, while encouraging independence and individual responsibility.

ABOUT ‘FEEL THE LOVE’ PROGRAM

The “Feel The Love” campaign started in 2009, extending to those in need across North America; it is a team effort between Lennox and subsidiaries like Maple Plumbing & Heating.

In Maple Creek, people were asked to nominate a deserving recipient. Horizon House was chosen.

In 2022, Eva Keller benefited from the program.

ABOUT MAPLE PLUMBING & HEATING

Maple Plumbing & Heating was started in 1961 by John Andreas’s father, George. The phrase “Let George Do It” soon became commonplace in the town.

In 2022, John Andreas told the News-Times: “The community has been very good to me. I am very happy that the business can give back to it.”