Five network service centers for ARS/Rescue Rooter have taken the initiative to give back to their communities in a big way. ARS/Rescue Rooter Raleigh, ARS/Rescue Rooter in Charleston, ARS/Rescue Rooter in Myrtle Beach, RS Andrews of Tidewater, and ARS/Rescue Rooter Manassas created call-to-actions on various media outlets and their respective websites to get nominations for product and service donations. This donation program, called ARS Cares, is a yearlong program, and the results thus far are heartwarming.
ARS/Rescue Rooter Raleigh Durham - Carolyn Walden
ARS/Rescue Rooter Raleigh Durham received a nomination for Carolyn Walden, a single mother of a 9-year-old with apraxia and cerebral palsy. Walden quit her job in order to care for her child. So when her HVAC unit stopped working, buying a new one was not a reality. Walden notes, “My electric bill is usually over $500 per month. We often have to sleep dressed in many layers and confine ourselves to the room that we have the space heater in.” ARS/Rescue Raleigh Durham received Walden’s nomination and gave her a new complete HVAC system and Google Nest thermostat. “I was using space heaters to keep my family warm. I am so thankful for ARS/Rescue Rooter for making my life much more comfortable.”
ARS/Rescue Rooter Manassas - Pamela Brunson
Likewise, single mother Pamela Brunson in Manassas, VA, was struggling with keeping up with energy bills. She and her two boys moved into a 1200 square-foot home in 2017 so the boys could ride the bus home from school. Brunson was receiving electricity bills for over $400 and discovered her outdated HVAC system was at fault. ARS/Rescue Rooter Manassas was thrilled to gift Brunson with an HVAC system in addition to a water heater and Google Nest products that will keep her energy bill down. “Making ends meet was very difficult,” says Brunson, “but ARS helped me make what my family needs possible.”
RSA Cares - Keith English
Energy bills were not the only motivators in requesting HVAC updates with ARS Cares; another Virginia family received a heartfelt nomination from their son. Keith English, a Marine veteran, is battling Stage IV lung cancer. His son, Tyler, wrote into RS Andrews of Tidewater. “My dad was told by his doctor in January that he has three to six months to live. He takes care of me and my mother. He usually fixes things around the house, but could not repair our air conditioner.” English continues to work in order to provide for them, despite his condition. “He would never ask for anything for free, and he always says that there are people worse off than him,” adds Tyler. “I want him to be comfortable before he goes. I believe that he deserves to be nominated for this offer of help.”
ARS Cares Charleston - Peggy Sumter
The Sumter family in Charleston, SC, has also been plagued with health-related difficulties. Edith Miller, a friend of the Sumters, nominated the couple for ARS Cares, saying, “Due to limited income and high medical costs, they were not able to replace their broken air conditioning system. They are more deserving of getting a new system donated to them than anyone else I know.” Peggy Sumter has Multiple Sclerosis and her husband, Eugene, suffers from aftereffects of a stroke. However, the couple is recognized throughout the Red Top community as mainstay volunteers and positive influencers in the community. Franklin Felton, General Manager of ARS/Rescue Rooter in Charleston, was “happy to have the opportunity to help a deserving person in the community.”
ARS Cares Myrtle Beach - Jerolyn Slayton
The fifth recipient is also a standout community volunteer. ARS/Rescue Rooter in Myrtle Beach selected Jerolyn Slayton to receive a donated HVAC system. Slayton volunteers at Calvary Christian School but returns to a home without heat or air. Burton Bosworth nominated Slayton for this donation, saying, “Jerolyn’s volunteerism has served both the school and Jerolyn, as she is able to spend daytime hours in the warmth of the office, as well as to provide invaluable help to the school and church.” Now, Slayton can enjoy a comfortable climate at home, too.
ARS/Rescue Rooter is honored to support the communities that they proudly serve. ARS Cares is a program that is being activated at over 70 branches of ARS-owned service providers around the country. Click here to learn more!
