The 12-inch fans were donated to the House of Blessing Church of God, New Hope Church of God and the Mt. Bethel Church of God
TRENTON -- City firefighters donated 60 fans to three churches Wednesday as a heat wave hovered over the state.
The 12-inch, tabletop fans were donated by firefighters through their union, and were distributed to the House of Blessing Church of God, New Hope Church of God and the Mt. Bethel Church of God, all in the city.
"This is going to help a lot of our congregation, especially the elderly, said Ralston Denton, a pastor House of Blessing, who is also a firefighter assigned to Ladder 4.
Denton said the reality with many lower-income city residents is that they turn off their air conditioning in the summer to save money on their utility bills.
Jacqueline Millings, from Mt. Bethel, said the church does a lot of outreach and the 20 fans will make a difference for many.
"When groups come together, we can do good things," fire Deputy Chief Bob Tharp said with Deputy Chief Leonard Carmichael.
Accepting the fans for New Hope was Derrick McKoy.
Tharp reminded city residents to look out for each other during such heat waves. Neighbors should check on neighbors, especially the elderly or at-risk.
Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find NJ.com on Facebook.