A Wisconsin woman decided to bless a friendly, elderly local grocery worker after learning he went more than a year without heat or hot water in his home.
Stephanie Peach says it is always a pleasure to see Dennis Raiten at their local Pick ‘N Save in Monroe, WI.
“I just got to know him and one day he told me that he hoped it stayed nice out because it’s nice and warm out and he didn’t have any heat,” Stephanie told NBC 15.
She learned that Raiten’s boiler broke 15 months ago. He has been without heat or hot water ever since.
“No 65-year-old should have to take cold showers and not have heat,” Peach shared.
Peach said she slowly gathered more information and learned he hadn’t had a hot shower in months. That’s when she decided to start a GoFundMe campaign to bless Raiten.
“Dennis is a lovely older gentleman that works at Pick N Save. He is always the nicest person and will remember things about customers and chat with them when they come back the next time,” she wrote on the fundraising website.
Those in the community who also appreciated Dennis gave to the campaign. Together they raised more than $6,500 for him to receive a new furnace, new air conditioning unit, and renovate his bathroom.
“I’m just flabbergasted,” Raiten told NBC 15 when he heard of the news. “I guess she’s one of the few people that leaves me speechless. So, she did that.”
Peach said her message is to be kind to others because you never know what they are going through.
“I just knew him like maybe two months ago, but now I feel like he’s a friend and even could kind of consider him family at this point,” Peach said. “It means a lot.”
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