FORT WORTH, Texas — The constant 100-plus-degree days in Texas are a danger to families living without air conditioning in their homes. Several families throughout Fort Worth are getting help to beat the heat with a free AC window unit.
The first round of installations organized by a community leader happened Thursday morning at the home of Lillie Littlejohn. She calls the free unit a godsend.
"Thank God for sending them this way," said Littlejohn.
After getting help with her hot house, Littlejohn spoke with WFAA in her living room. Until now, summer temperatures made that room so hot that she avoided it.
"I did use a fan, I stay in my room all day, under a fan in the room, I never did come up here, too hot," she said.
Fort Worth community leader Darryl Washington started the program with money out of his own pocket. The more he helped people, the more he learned about others living in dangerous situations without air conditioning.
Eventually, Washington managed to team up with local companies and charities to give people heat relief.
"You can't ask for a better partner than United Way," Washington said.
Thanks to a partnership, Washington recruited emergency responders to install the free window units. The volunteers are from the Fort Worth Police Department, Fort Worth Fire Department and Tarrant County Constables. This is the sixth year they've helped people living in dangerous heat.
"I'm taking care of seniors and the veterans, and those are my first priority," said Washington.
It's a much-needed priority in Tarrant County, which had at least one heat-related death a week last summer. Most of the victims were found in homes without a working AC unit.
Between 1999 and 2022, Tarrant County has been in the top ten Texas counties for heat-related deaths, all according to the United Way.
Fort Worth firefighters also know how dangerous the heat is to people without air conditioning.
Fort Worth Fire Battalion Chief Brad Davis has no problem getting his crews to join Washington and others for the installs. Davis warns anyone with family living without some type of AC at home, especially elderly relatives, should be checked on during back-to-back days with temperatures topping 100 degrees.
"It can be extremely dangerous if you don't hydrate and you're not able to get out of the heat," Davis said.
Thanks to Washington, police and fire volunteers, and the United Way of Tarrant County, staying cool is something residents like Littlejohn can now do.
"I try to stay cool as much as I can and drink a lot of liquids and stuff," said Littlejohn.
The United Way kicked off a program called "Beat the Heat" to help families living in dangerous heat situations.