MANSFIELD (1080 KRLD)- A recipient of Meals on Wheels received a new air conditioner Wednesday as North Texas continued a string of triple-digit temperatures. Through Tuesday, DFW Airport had hit 100 degrees ten days in a row and a total of 19 times in 2022. In a normal year, North Texas hits 100 degrees a total of 20 times.
"It's relatively early to be hitting well over 100, so we always want to make sure our clients are taken care of; not only meals but safety-checks," says Meals on Wheels of Tarrant County's Philip Gonzalez.
Those safety-checks include making sure a client's air conditioning works in the summer, heating works in the winter, electricity is running and the house does not have any damage or maintenance issues.
"Our volunteers don't only deliver the meal. If, by chance, they open the door and it's just like a heat wave hitting you in the face, you know something's not right on the inside," Gonzalez says.
Johnny Ashcraft, a Korean War veteran, says his air conditioner had not been working well, and the volunteers who deliver his meals helped him get a new one.
"It's like you get to be friends with these people. Just like on Mondays, we've got Theresa and Donnie. They're just like friends. We just sit and visit as much as we can. Sometimes those are the only people I get to talk to. Me and my wife, we've been married 60 years, and we're about talked out. We don't have much to say anymore," Ashcraft says, laughing.
Wednesday, TXU Energy donated a window unit and installed it at Ashcraft's home.
"It's amazing. All these people have been really helpful," he says. "TXU brought the air conditioner. Meals on Wheels brings me a TV. My TV is about 25 years old and was fixing to go out."
"It's just a really heartwarming and special day to be able to know we're able to provide cool air to this client during these particularly hot summer months," says TXU Energy's Caroline Atkins.
Meals on Wheels of Tarrant County says it has been working with TXU more than 20 years and this year, the organization says TXU is donating $7,500 to provide air conditioners and fans as part of TXU Energy's "Beat the Heat" program.
"We are able to partner with agencies to provide A/C units and box fans to Texans in need this summer. We all know it's particularly hot, and we want Texans to stay safe," Atkins says. "It's such a special day to know we're impacting this one individual's life today in such a positive way."
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