The Sisters of Charity of Nazareth welcomed hundreds of local residents to the Nazareth Motherhouse Campus on June 18 for the Nazareth Fan Giveaway, providing free box fans to families throughout Nelson County and surrounding communities.
Beginning at 3 p.m., vehicles lined Cemetery Drive as volunteers, employees, and Sisters distributed fans to individuals and families seeking relief from rising summer temperatures. The giveaway, made possible through the generosity of Kentucky Gives Day donors and other supporters, offered a simple way to help households stay cool while managing higher energy costs.
“Our supporters understand that small acts of kindness can make a meaningful difference,” said Spalding Hurst, director of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth Office of Mission Advancement. “For many families, a box fan can provide comfort and safety during the hottest days of summer. We are grateful to everyone who helped make this outreach possible.”
Volunteers assisted with traffic flow, registration, and fan distribution throughout the afternoon, helping the event run smoothly. As temperatures continue to climb across Kentucky, the fans provide an affordable way for families to cool their homes.
Those who received a fan also received a prayer card from the Sisters and expressed appreciation for the support.
“Thank you so, so much. This really helps. We appreciate all you do,” one driver said while passing through the distribution line.
The Sisters of Charity of Nazareth extend their gratitude to everyone who contributed to the effort through donations, volunteer service, and prayers. Together, they helped bring relief and comfort to households across the region.
The fan giveaway is one of several outreach initiatives supported by the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth. In recent years, the Congregation has organized Thanksgiving turkey distributions, winter clothing drives for local schools, and disaster relief efforts following severe flooding and storm damage.
While the fan giveaway has become a familiar summer outreach the last few years,, organizers said they will likely pause the program in 2027 as they focus on other community needs. Inspired by Mother Catherine Spalding and the Congregation’s founding mission, the Sisters continue to look for ways to respond to the needs of the time.
Inspired once again by this amazing effort of helping members of the SCN community, we are also collecting box fans for free distribution through a local assistance center this Summer, our second year of doing this. We are a small but mighty faith community here in East TN, doing something meaningful for our neighbors.
*neighbors of the SCN community.
* Neighbors of the SCN Community
God bless the fan drive. We here in the UK have a rear heatwave and our home and businesses are not built with air conditioning so we appreciate the relief and comfort that fans can bring. Yes we have a heatwave for a week and then back to our 🌧 raincoats 😃 😊
So glad we could help our neighbors in the area have access to relief from the summer’s heat. Bl essing to all who were involved!
We are so grateful that SCNs and Associates were able to offer a bit of comfort to our neighbors as temps climb in the Kentucky Summer heat! Blessings to all!
Anne Marie and Ann