5 Meals On Wheels Volunteers Hospitalized After Carbon Monoxide Leak
PETERS TOWNSHIP, Pa. (KDKA) - Five volunteers at the Meals on Wheels of Peters Township were taken to the hospital after a carbon monoxide leak.
Director Susan Hanawalt told KDKA the gas company was called and firefighters were on scene Friday when a high level of carbon monoxide was discovered. One of the workers reportedly fainted.
"I was horrified this was happening. The back story is we had a broken exhaust fan, which we'd spent about $1,500 trying to fix. There were several companies involved, but it still wasn't working correctly," Hanawalt said.
Due to the evacuation, the 150 meals that were in the ovens were not delivered to clients.
The kitchen was closed and a new exhaust fan needs to be installed. Until that happens, no meals can be prepared.
It's not clear when the kitchen will be back in operation.
"I can't cook anymore. I have tremors and it's hard for me to pick up heavy things. So it's very important I get my meals," one client told KDKA.
Since the organization is funded by donations, Meals on Wheels is asking for help so they can get the problem fixed and reopen on Monday.
Hanawalt said she does hope that their story brings attention to the need for carbon monoxide detectors since they did not have one.
The hospitalized volunteers are expected to be okay, according to the nonprofit.
