It’s hard to believe that there are people living in Central Texas without air conditioners during the peak of summer heat, but in fact, many of our neighbors don’t have homes with correctly functioning A/C units, and some have none at all. Central Texas’ brutally hot summers pose serious health threats to older adults and people with disabilities who lack the means to cool their homes.
At St. David’s Foundation, it’s our goal to keep older adults in their homes for as long as possible through our Aging in Place focus area, so when we were approached about a collaboration between the Austin Police Department and Meals on Wheels Central Texas to bring air conditioning units our neighbors in need, we knew it was something we wanted to be part of.
St. David’s Foundation provided funding to purchase 40 portable air conditioning units, and volunteers from Austin Cops for Charities, an organization comprised of Austin police officers, and volunteers from Meals on Wheels Central Texas will install the units around Austin, all at no cost to the recipients. Through this partnership, dozens of older adults and people with disabilities will find much-needed relief from the potentially deadly summer heat.
On Thursday, August 23, we held an event to kick off the partnership with Austin Police Chief Brian Manley, St. David’s Foundation CEO Earl Maxwell, and Meals on Wheels Central Texas CEO Adam Hauser. At the end of the event, volunteers installed an A/C unit for a couple living in East Austin, who currently had a tiny window unit which was barely functioning.
We look forward to seeing this project bring much-needed relief to our neighbors this summer. It’s through collaborations like these that some of the best work in our community happens, and we’re happy to be part of this great program.
