JEFFERSON CITY, MO. -- Nicole Ponder is the mother of an autistic daughter with medical problems. She said the temperature in her mobile home has already hit 102 degrees.
"We couldn't afford to get our central air unit fixed this year, which is like 500 dollars,” Ponder said.
Monday was the first day of summer, but Mother Nature has been there for some time, and with another week in the 90's ahead, it was the perfect day to give out air conditioners to people in need.
Ponder was the first to receive a 5,200 BTU Window A/C unit from the Jefferson City Samaritan Center. This is the fifth year Ameren UE has provided cooling units with low operational costs.
"Your typical air conditioning unit, your typical window unit, costs about a $1.50, but because these are Energy Star and much more efficient, it's only a $1 a day,” Ameren UE Lori Hoelscher said.
"Clients really need 'em,” Samaritan Center Andrea Pauley said. “Sometimes fans just don't cut it and this really makes a difference.”
The people at the Samaritan Center said only a dozen of the 50 AC units were spoken for as of Monday morning.
So they encourage anyone in need to contact them at 573-634-7776
The priority will be given to the elderly and to disabled people or those with medical needs in the family.
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