Cool help from companies
Published 10:00 pm Thursday, August 2, 2018
Good corporate citizenship was on display in one of the unlikeliest of places — a secluded backyard on Wilroy Road — on Wednesday.
American Residential Services, based in Memphis, Tenn., has an ARS Cares program for its affiliates to install new heating, ventilation and air-conditioning units in homes without functioning units. There is an application process to seek out the families most in need.
The local affiliate of ARS, R.S. Andrews of Tidewater, on Wednesday replaced the broken-down HVAC unit of Ella Lewis, who lives on Wilroy Road with her 15-year-old daughter, Amanda. Amanda has Down syndrome and autism and is a cancer survivor, so the family is well acquainted with difficult times.
But for the past five or so years, they have been suffering from a lack of central air and heating. The old unit broke down that long ago, and Lewis has been unable to afford a replacement, since her sole focus has been taking care of Amanda.
She had window air-conditioning units and space heaters, but some rooms of her home developed mold and peeling plaster when she shut them off to conserve energy.
Fortunately, her sister had nominated her for the ARS Cares program after seeing it mentioned in a television commercial. They prayed and fasted and eventually were notified that Lewis was chosen.
We’ve said in this space before that being a good neighbor is among the most important things companies and corporations can do. R.S. Andrews demonstrated neighborly behavior this week when they showed up with their truck and smiling workers to bless a family in this community.
Both Carrier, which donated the new unit, and R.S. Andrews as well as American Residential Services deserve thanks for their good corporate citizenship.