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‘Fan Club’ providing heat relief
Published June 28, 2009
An elderly woman in Rosharon can barely afford to keep their mobile home in good enough repair to keep out the weather, let alone pay a steep summer electric bill or buy a new fan.
“She can’t burn her lights and only gets five meals a week,” ActionS Inc. of Brazoria County Executive Director Murphy Rankin said. “She can’t afford a high electric bill and is probably living on $400-$500 per month.”
And she is hardly unique in a county being baked by Mother Nature, with heat index readings already in the triple-digits and the hottest months yet to arrive.
For the elderly, infirm and very young, a home without air conditioning or proper air circulation is more than uncomfortable, it can be deadly, Rankin said.
The United Way of Brazoria County this week joined ActionS, Dow Texas Operations and Pct. 4 Justice of the Peace Sharon Fox in providing a more comfortable summer to needy families through the Cool Deal Fan Club. The program is a revival of one began by former Pct. 1 Justice of the Peace Jack Brown in 2005.
Brown has said he started the program after walking into the home of two seniors who had given up running their air conditioner so they could afford their medications. The home was so hot the judge had to walk outside to cool off.
That need hasn’t changed, Rankin said.
“There are senior citizens in homes that are stifling hot,” Rankin said. “There are seniors who aren’t running their air conditioners because of the expense. We want to put fans in their homes to cool them a little bit.”
Anyone interested is encouraged to drop off a fan at the Angleton United Way office at 1208 Loop 274. Donation of money for the program also are being taken through the United Way, Dow and ActionS.
Hazards from being trapped in the heat can affect every generation.
Hot weather increases the risk of respiratory illnesses and complications to a number of diseases, United Way Executive Director Stephanie Cone said.
“This heat wave has been having a serious impact on some people in our community,” Cone said. “We’ve had numerous calls from individuals who do not have the resources to cool their homes. We’ve been working with ActionS to provide some relief from the heat.”
Volunteers also are hoping to help families with infants.
Babies are at a higher risk for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome in extreme heat, said Mario Guel, SIDS educator with the Southwest SIDS Research Institute at Brazosport Regional Health System in Lake Jackson.
Guel has helped deliver about 30 cribs to needy families and finds “stifling” heat in 90 percent of those homes, he said.
“One of the risk factors for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is infant overheating,” Guel said. “The fans would help circulate the air, and that will help lower the percentage of SIDS as well.”
As part of the fan program, and taking up the effort began by Brown, Fox is offering people the opportunity to substitute a $20 fan for $20 in deferred disposition payment. Under deferred disposition, drivers who have traffic warrants pay court costs and a $70 fine after fulfilling the terms of their case. Under the Cool Deal, an offender may pay $20 of that toward a fan.
“People don’t have to do it that way, but it’s an option,” Fox said. “We’re trying to get the fans to folks who need them.”
Drivers with commercial licenses aren’t eligible for deferred disposition, she said. Three fans were given Wednesday, the first day of the new program.
Dow officials agreed the plan is a good one and have asked employees to help. On Thursday — the first day of participation — company spokeswoman Trish Ritthaler said $260 was donated at a business roundtable involving several area companies.
“Our employees are very community-oriented, and we felt like if they had the opportunity to contribute fans, air conditioning or money toward those things, they would want to get involved,” Ritthaler said. “We hope to start getting donations in the next couple of days.”
Some donations to the program could be used for air conditioners where possible, but that’s a decision to be made in the future, Cone said. The goal is to circulate some relief — and air — as soon as possible.
“We are reaching out to workplaces, different community groups and individuals, trying to generate some interest,” she said. “We want to help provide fans to individuals in the community who are vulnerable.”
John Lowman covers Brazoria County for The Facts. Contact him at (979) 849-8581.
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