“This fan drive is a true blessing” says Stacy Barrett, Senior Manager of Remarketing at Car-Mart’s Corporate Office. “I love, love the fan drive. With the rising cost of energy, our fans will help a lot of people. People can cut back on air-conditioning and use a fan.”
For over 25 years, Car-Mart has conducted a Community Fan Drive to collect fans to help those in need beat the heat during summer. Each Car-Mart location selects a local charity for the fans, and the store associates deliver the fans in early July.
“The fan drive shows we care, and we do. We care that people stay cool,” says Stacy. “I just love it! Our Car-Mart fan drive is another way to give back to our community. In all my years in this business, I’ve never seen a car company do something like this. We truly care about our communities.”
In 2022, when Stacy was located in Tullahoma, Tenn., she and her team selected two organizations to receive their fans – Blue Monarch, Tullahoma, and Friends of Animals Rescue & Adoption Center, Lynchburg, Tenn. “Animals need to stay cool, too,” smiles Stacy.
Fans for moms & kids
“It’s very uplifting to know that people in our community care,” says Kate Cataldo, Operations Director, Blue Monarch. “The fact that Car-Mart is thinking of us and wanting to do something special for us, it makes our staff and residents feel like we’re not alone.”
“Being a recipient of Car-Mart’s fan drive is exciting. People will have hope,” Kate continues. “There are so many stories about addiction that it doesn’t end well. The process of healing is not easy. It’s beautiful, but it’s not easy. At Blue Monarch, we see miracles every single day. With the fans, our moms can see that somebody cares about them.”
Blue Monarch provides a completely-free long-term recovery home for women and their children. The organization assists women and their children who are dealing with addiction, domestic violence and economic hardship to transform in minds, bodies and spirits.
Since 2003, Blue Monarch has helped over 300 children restore a relationship with a happy, healthy mom, and helped moms regain custody of their children. “We help moms become the best moms they can be,” says Kate. “We create a new normal for the mom and the children.”
Fans for dogs and cats
“It means a lot to be considered to receive the fans. It’s really sweet, and it’s a wonderful thing that Car-Mart is doing a fan drive,” says Brandi Blankenship, President/Director, Friends of Animals. “It’s really important to let animals be comfortable.”
The fans will be used to circulate the fans in the cat rooms. Larger utility fans are used for the dogs in the outside kennels.
Friends of Animals is a volunteer-based dog and cat rescue shelter. The organization’s goal is to place these animals in a forever home. Since 2013, the organization has adopted out over 300 pets.
Read our blog about the importance of fans – plus 5 tips for getting the most out of your box fan.
Want to help? Be a Fan. Bring a Box Fan to America’s Car-Mart
Bring a box fan to your local America’s Car-Mart. We’ll take it from there. In July, our Car-Mart associates will deliver the fans to local charities in our 12-state area. Learn more about our Community Fan Drive.
