In Frank Carter's Fort Worth home, the thermostat reads 93 degrees, just shy of the triple-digit heat outside.
The 86-year-old Korean War veteran's air conditioning went out nearly a week ago. And though the summer's warmest weather is in full swing, he felt there was little hope for a fix.
"I really didn't have a plan. We were just searching around to see what we could get, because the air conditioner, the one that went out, is a $5,000 unit. I just didn't have the money," Carter said.
But only 24 hours after his caretaker started to make calls, help arrived.
First, it came in the form of a small window unit to provide relief in Carter's bedroom. Then, a local company stepped up with the fix he truly needed.
"We got a call about a veteran who needed some assistance and that sort of thing is right in line with our core values as a company, which is to help enrich the lives of the community in which we serve," said Will Anderson, co-owner of Texas Pride Heating and Air.
Anderson's partner Chastain Mills said his own father is a veteran. Though he said he didn't believe anyone should suffer a Texas summer without air conditioning, he especially felt a man who'd served his country shouldn't be left without relief.
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"Everything he's done for everyone around, and all the things that he's seen… It just impacts you a little more," Mills said.
Not only did Mills and Anderson pledge their service, they worked with air conditioning manufacturer Lennox to get the unit donated free of charge.
"It makes me feel very good," Carter said.
For anyone who is lacking air conditioning, the Salvation Army is providing 13 cooling stations across North Texas that are open seven days a week.
