SELCAS receives gift from Compeer Home

FAIRBURY, Ill. — Southeast Livingston County Ambulance Service received a $2,500 gift from Compeer Home in recognition of its crew members’ selfless service to others.

The gift is in honor of National Heroes Day, founded in the aftermath of the theater shooting in Aurora, Colorado, on July 20, 2012, to pay tribute to everyday heroes — from first responders to civilians who jump into action without regard to their own safety.

“We believe strong rural communities aren’t just about where you live — they’re about the people who support and protect them,” said Chad McGlothlen, Compeer Home director of lending.

“This giveaway is a way to honor the first responders who make it possible for our clients and neighbors to live safely in the places they love.”

Volunteer fire, rescue and ambulance departments are the backbone to keeping rural communities safe, yet they are often operating with limited resources.

Compeer Home, a division of Compeer Financial, launched the National Heroes Day Giveaway to champion the vital role volunteer departments play across its 144-county territory in Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

A winner was drawn from each state, with St. Clair Fire Department in Minnesota and Brownsville Fire Company in Wisconsin also receiving a $2,500 gift. There were 1,429 departments nominated.

“In rural communities, everyday heroes live alongside us — ready to answer a call for help at any hour, in any condition, sometimes in a family’s darkest times,” said Karen Schieler, manager of corporate giving at Compeer Financial.

“Our volunteer first responders make rural communities a better and safer place to live. We are grateful to celebrate them, as they give of themselves in service to others. There are no bigger heroes than them.”

Amy Ifft nominated SELCAS.

“I knew right away I wanted to nominate SELCAS. They’re some of the most hard-working people I know,” Ifft said.

“We’re so lucky and blessed to have them in our community. Their crew goes above and beyond. They truly are a group of dedicated, committed people.”

Diane Harfst, lending officer with Compeer Home, and her family have firsthand experience with the crew at SELCAS.

“I was honored to be included in the gift presentation to SELCAS. These valued first responders have helped my family on numerous occasions over the past 15 years. My parents lived to be 89 and 91 years old, and as their health failed, we needed to call on the assistance of SELCAS on more than one occasion,” Harfst said.

“We always knew our family member was going to be in good hands. It’s great to know that Compeer is committed to rural communities, helping make a difference right in my backyard.”

SELCAS has a long history in the community. It was established in 1972 to provide Emergency 911 ambulance service for portions of Livingston and McLean counties and now services about 425 square miles.

As a nonprofit organization, it relies on the generosity of the community it serves through donations and fundraisers, as well as grants, to fund its operations.

“A gift like this is a pretty big deal to us. We survive quite a bit on the donations we receive throughout the year,” said Jeremy Stoller, SELCAS emergency medical services coordinator.

“This year we are purchasing a new ambulance, and costs continue to go up, so donations like this are a huge part of what enable us to have the best equipment possible for our people to use.

“We are now able to upgrade from two-wheel drive to four-wheel drive, which is about a $2,500 increase. It will be a big difference in the winter when we’re dealing with a lot of snow and stuff on the road.”

With just over 50 crew members, Stoller said an ongoing concern is continuing to have the personnel and volunteers to staff the ambulances at the level they currently do.

“Our greatest asset by far is our people. We’re very lucky in our area to have a very supportive community and people who will come out and take EMT, paramedic classes to continue to help us staff the ambulances,” Stoller said.

In addition to the National Heroes Day Giveaway, Compeer supports rural first responders through the annual Emergency Response Equipment Grant Program, which opened for applications on Aug. 1.