Listening to a presentation from Roger Spitz of the Carlisle Area Sertoma Club a few months ago, Manheim Sertoma Club member Wendy Wood was inspired to act.

Spitz demonstrated the HLAC151 Bedside Fire Alarm and Clock bed shaker, created by Lifetone Technology to wake a person who might sleep through a fire.

"I got goosebumps listening to his presentation," Wood recalled, noting that her 75-year-old father had recently slept through an alarm that went off at his house. "He wears hearing aids, and people don't sleep with their hearing aids, so you might not realize who would miss an alarm because they couldn't hear it," she said. Her father was unhurt, but the incident prompted Wood to find out more about the devices.

"When I joined the Sertoma Club, I knew I wanted to do something for the community," said Wood, who joined Sertoma a little over a year ago. She created the Shake Me Awake campaign, in cooperation with the Carlisle club's Feel the Danger campaign, to raise funds to purchase the devices. The alarms connect to a resident's current fire alarm and provide multiple notifications of a fire - from audible alerts to visual notifications of flashing lights to tactile alerts of a vibrating bed shaker.

"For two months straight, I went around to businesses and people in Manheim and Lititz, raising money to purchase these devices, which cost $250 a piece," Wood said. "I thought, 'If I can raise $5,000, I'll be ecstatic.'" To date, she's raised more than $11,000.

"People have been very supportive of this cause," she stated. "Lititz Mutual was my best sponsor. They gifted $2,500, which would purchase 10 devices for the hearing-impaired."

Hearing-impaired people are encouraged to apply for a device, which will be available for free. The deadline for applications is the end of August or while supplies last.

"You don't realize that there is a need like this in the community, but there is a need," Wood said, noting that she has reached out to local VFWs to spread the word about the devices for veterans. "There are elderly people who live alone and who could benefit from this. There are parents who have hearing-impaired children who would benefit from this."

Wood said she's been overwhelmed by the community support to raise funds for the devices. "I want to thank everybody who sponsored this effort, who welcomed me into their business during business hours and took time to sit down and listen to what we do as a club and what we are doing with this project," she stated. "Thank you to everybody who donated to make this possible."

To apply for a free device, contact Wood at 717-824-2658.