Alachua County Fire Rescue lieutenant Josh Quijano went to turn on his air conditioning to cool down as the first hot spells began to hit Gainesville. After waiting for the cold to hit, he realized nothing was changing.
“My AC broke this year, probably in April or May,” Quijano said. “We went to turn it on and got nothing.”
The next few months were spent buying box fans, installing window units and closing off parts of the house to keep the living conditions as comfortable as possible for his 3-year-old daughter.
On Saturday, that all changed.
A Gainesville-based HVAC installation company, Comfort Temp Heating & Air, partnering with Lennox’s Feel The Love program, donated and installed a new air-conditioning system at Quijano’s home.
The Lennox program encourages community members to nominate people they consider a hero – someone who puts other people’s needs before their own – to receive a brand-new heating and cooling system.
“We really wanted to go all out for this particular candidate,” said Christy Robinson, marketing manager of Comfort Temp. “We didn’t want to just install the system, we wanted to give them a full makeover.”
Quijano came across this opportunity through his union, Fire Rescue Professionals of Alachua County IAFF Local 3852 at Alachua County Fire Rescue, which asked for nominations to Lennox and Comfort Temp seeking a first responder who needed a new air-conditioning unit, installation included. Coworkers referred and nominated Quijano on his behalf.
“It was like a team effort,” Quijano said. “I applied, the union pushed it forward, and then I got a call that I'd been selected.”
Robinson said a leader in the fire department recommended Quijano after he had experienced a stretch of bad luck that included the HVAC failure and roofing issues.
“He was in need of some help,” Robinson said. “They submitted the nomination, Lennox approved it, and here we are.”
Saturday’s installation was Comfort Temp’s first Feel The Love project in Alachua County, said Comfort Temp CEO John Waldrop, who was also one of the dozen workers who came out and helped on the project. According to its website, Lennox’s nationwide Feel The Love campaign has completed more than 2,700 installations and donated $12.6 million in supplies in 47 U.S. states and Canadian provinces since 2009. Local partners, such as Comfort Temp, choose the recipients and enlist volunteers to complete the installation.
Robinson and Waldrop estimated the cost of Comfort Temp’s work at between $15,000 and $20,000, on average. This steep price makes it hard for some families to get immediate replacements and touch-ups to the house.
“A couple of handfuls were willing to come out and help on their Saturday,” Robinson said. “We even mulched around trees and bushes and cleared excess, just to give all the help we can.”
The impact of the home improvements for Quijano and his family was immediate. Without central air, certain areas of the house were closed off during the summer. “We’ve been doing our best,” Quijano said. “Some rooms we just don’t use because there’s no air-conditioning. My daughter’s room is connected to ours, and keeping her cool has been our priority.”
Feel The Love describes its recipients as “unsung heroes” who value others before themselves but may not have the means to live comfortably. Past recipients include teachers, police officers, veterans, senior citizens, and victims of natural disasters, among others. Lennox and its local partners select the recipients from among community-submitted nominations and coordinate installations.
Kick-starting the program locally with a first responder was a must for Comfort Temp.
“It’s really special to help someone who serves the community,” Robinson said.
Quijano, who spends his days helping with others' emergencies, said the experience was unlike any other.
“Wow, it's just speechless, everything they did. All the quality work that they did to the house and yard was great,” said Quijano.