A new program aimed at placing air conditioning units in the homes of Fredericksburg area residents this summer has taken flight.
Dubbed “Eagle Air Support” by organizers, the joint effort of the Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank and the University of Mary Washington will reuse surplus window air conditioners from UMW’s Fredericksburg campus.
The program will make use of air conditioning units that were once in student rooms in Russell and Marshall Halls. The two campus residence halls will be demolished this school year to make way for a new theatre as the academic home for Mary Washington’s Department of Theatre and Dance.
“As we take down two storied buildings on campus, we’ve looked for ways to salvage usable materials, including the air conditioning units, as well as items and bricks that preserve memories for alumni,” said UMW Assistant Vice President for Facilities and Capital Outlay Brian Gorham. “UMW Facilities Operations staff started with the process of removing and refurbishing these AC units to benefit the community.”
The Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank has obtained 50 of the units from the University through the Virginia State Surplus Donation Program. The units will be made available at no cost to the food bank’s member pantries for distribution to their clients in the spring and summer months.
“Many times, a barrier to adequate food access for those we serve is economic stress or health concerns in another dimension of their lives,” said Dan Maher, president and CEO of the food bank. “Supporting some of those who need air conditioning should improve their overall health and well-being.”
Maher said other nonprofit agencies in the region also will be able to obtain units from the food bank. The general public is asked to work through a participating nonprofit to obtain a unit.
The units are Frigidaire brand, about five years old and are now being stored at the food bank’s headquarters on Lee Hill Drive in Spotsylvania.
“We are uniquely positioned as a service organization because we have warehouse space to temporarily store the units until they can be paired with someone in need,” Maher said.
For more information, contact Dan Maher, president and CEO, Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank, at 540/371-7666 or dmaher@fredfood.org.
Leave a Reply