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FORT WORTH, Texas – Reliant Energy and the Fort Worth Fire Department are working together to install 50 window AC units in local residences this summer.
ACs for North Texas Seniors 
What we know:
The electricity company Reliant Energy donated 50 window air conditioning units to Fort Worth as part of its annual Beat the Heat program.
These AC units are being installed by the Fort Worth Fire Department in the homes of seniors and other locals who are vulnerable to the heat. This will continue throughout the summer.
Recipients of the AC units were chosen from Neighborhood Services’ list of homeowners who were eligible for assistance.
What they’re saying:
Veteran Nancy Garcia was one of the people who got a new AC on Thursday. She explained that she once had central air, but it was disconnected because of bad wiring in her home. Even though the wires were replaced years ago, the old AC was never hooked back up.
“It gets mighty hot,” Garcia said. “It feels good.”
“I want to sit here and cry. I really do,” added Hilda Alba, her friend. “She needed it really bad because, you know, sometimes we’d want to just take all the clothes off.”
Alba called the new AC a blessing.
Suzie Dieth, who works for Reliant Energy, said Reliant aims to take care of the community by helping people stay cool as temperatures increase.
“Summers in Texas can get really, excruciatingly hot, and we don’t want anybody to feel like they can’t run their AC unit because they’re struggling to pay their electricity bill,” she said. “Installing these AC units is just one way we can help.”
Dieth also encourages people to check on one another to make sure everyone stays cool as temperatures increase.
Dig deeper:
Reliant Energy also donated $20,000 to help Fort Worth use four community centers as cooling centers. Residents can rest, drink water, snack, enjoy activities and learn how to save energy at home. The cooling centers can be found in both Dallas and Fort Worth.
The Source: This information comes from a news release from Reliant Energy and interviews as Fort Worth firefighters were installing the AC units on Thursday.