MAGNOLIA, Texas — An Army veteran who said he had been living without centralized air conditioning for several years was gifted a free replacement.
Alonzo Acosta lives with his wife at their Magnolia home. Their window AC units couldn’t keep their home cool in the Texas summer which saw record-breaking temperatures. Thanks to a nationwide program, Acosta got a brand-new AC free of charge.
Acosta said that after leaving the Army, he still felt the need to serve others.
“I was in the Army for a good 10 years. I got out in 2005. I helped out with Hurricane Katrina,” Acosta said.
He and his wife moved to their home in 2017 and they said the issues persisted from there.
“So, a few weeks after we lived here, the air conditioner started fizzing out. We called an AC repairman to come out here and he told us we can’t fix this AC. It's too old,” Acosta said.
He also said his homeowner's insurance also denied his claim.
Olivia Kendl, marketing manager for Chill Brothers, said Acosta’s sister in San Antonio shared the story with Lennox’s Feel The Love program, which has provided more than 1,000 furnaces to families in need nationwide.
“He was in Iraq and had some disabilities from it. And now that he’s back in Texas, he’s been at this house, his AC kind of died out and so he’s been suffering,” Kendl said.
Acosta said the inside of the house would get up to 110 degrees. His family, including his two nephews who lived with him for a brief time, would stay in their master bedroom.
“The rest of my house is sweltering, it was so hot. I’m so grateful they’re putting in this AC system,” Acosta said.
Acosta defended our freedoms and said the feeling of getting free AC is priceless.
“I’m telling you, it's like a dream come true,” Acosta said.
You can read more about the Lennox Feel The Love program here.