White-Rodgers to Donate Wi-Fi Thermostats to Wounded Veteran Homes
COLUMBUS, Ohio — White-Rodgers, a business unit of Emerson, will be donating approximately 60 Sensi wireless thermostats to Homes for Our Troops, a non-profit organization that builds specially adapted, mortgage-free homes for severely injured veterans of post 9/11, enabling them to rebuild their lives.
The wireless functionality in the Sensi thermostats will allow the veterans, many of whom are multiple amputees confined to wheelchairs, to monitor and adjust their heating and cooling equipment from a mobile device. The thermostats will be installed in all HFOT new builds throughout 2015.
HARDI member Dave Shingleton, divisional director of distribution sales at White-Rodgers, arranged the donation after meeting retired Marine Cpl. Neil Frustaglio at HARDI’s annual conference in December. Frustaglio, a wounded Veteran and HFOT beneficiary, shared his story with HARDI members and thanked them for their support of HFOT.
“After hearing Neil’s story and how a specially adapted home changed his life, I wanted to do something more,” said Shingleton. “I told him I would get him a Sensi thermostat. Then I thought, ‘why stop there?’ So I said let’s get all of the new homes taken care of this year.”
Shingleton and his team also located the contractor, Meyer Heating & Air Conditioning, which donated labor to install the units.
Many other HARDI members have made generous contributions to HFOT since 2011. “HARDI’s membership continues to show strong support for HFOT,” said Cindy Plummer, president of HARDI’s philanthropic entity Helping All Live On. “We are deeply proud of Dave Shingleton and all of our HARDI members’ contributions to give our wounded veterans homes suited to their unique needs.”
HARDI held a successful HFOT fundraising effort at its first Focus Conference of 2015 and will continue the efforts at its three remaining 2015 Focus Conferences.
