Pearson Gifts Free Furnaces to Two Veterans
Operation Warm Home provides new heating systems to a Machesney Park Air Force veteran and a Roscoe Navy veteran.
Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Military Jobs
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Pearson Plumbing, Heating & Pest Control awarded free furnaces to two local military veterans through its Operation Warm Home program. Chantyl Outzen, an Air Force veteran from Machesney Park, received a replacement after her aging furnace left her without heat at times last winter.
Why it matters
The gift addresses heating failures that left at least one veteran without reliable warmth during the cold season. It also highlights how community nominations can connect veterans in need with local assistance programs.
Two furnaces were awarded, one replacing a unit more than 40 years old. Outzen served in the U.S. Air Force from 2006 to 2009 and Greer served in the Navy for about 12 years.
The players
Pearson Plumbing, Heating & Pest Control
A local plumbing and heating company that runs the Operation Warm Home furnace giveaway.
Chantyl Outzen
An Air Force veteran and domestic violence counselor from Machesney Park who received a furnace.
Jeff Greer
A Navy veteran from Roscoe who has served on the board of the Veterans Leadership Task Force.
The details
Outzen's father-in-law and sister-in-law nominated her without her knowledge, and she discussed the gift on a Veterans Day radio broadcast. Jeff Greer, a Navy veteran from Roscoe who has led the American Legion, VFW and Winnebago County Veterans Assistance Commission, also received a furnace.
Timeline
Last winter: Outzen's furnace left her without heat at times.
November 11, 2026: Outzen discussed the furnace gift on a Veterans Day radio broadcast.
This winter: The new furnaces are expected to provide warmth.
Veterans Support
The Operation Warm Home program extends a community-run model in which local businesses supply heating help to residents nominated by family or neighbors. This year's recipients are two local veterans whose furnaces had failed or were more than 40 years old.
Veterans facing failing or unsafe heating systems can nominate themselves or others through local programs like Operation Warm Home. Staying warm through the winter depends on acting before a system breaks down.
The takeaway
Community nominations can connect veterans with heating help they might not seek on their own. Local businesses and neighbors who know a family in need are often the first to notice a failing furnace.
Further reading
Explore more veteran-focused coverage for Rockford residents.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Rock River Current - Illinois - Wisconsin.
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