One woman’s late-night emergency has led the De Soto Police Department, in partnership with Walmart and De Soto Goes Pink, to provide window air conditioning units to residents in need.
“On Tuesday (July 21), we got a call to a house on the east side of town,” Patrolman Rick Draper said. “An elderly lady needed help to get a window open.”
He said when officers got there, the heat inside the house felt like an oven.
“Anybody would immediately recognize this was a problem,” Draper said, adding the woman was experiencing medical issues related to the heat. “We reached out to a manager at Walmart (Crystal Grobe) and asked, ‘Hey, can Walmart help?’ It was 11 p.m. at night. She said, ‘I don’t know if Walmart can right help now, but I will buy one right now and bring it to the house.’”
He said Officer John Walls helped install the unit so the woman’s home could cool off.
Draper said he got to thinking about how De Soto’s businesses are always willing to help when there is a need. He got the OK from De Soto Police Chief Brent Steger to start a project to help residents like this woman who are suffering in silence without air conditioning in the heat.
“We’ve had a pretty good outpouring of support,” Draper said.
The department has received units from Fudge-Crosby Towing & Recovery; RTTR Rob’s Truck and Tractor Repair of Bonne Terre; Lorin Allen, a Scentsy consultant; Weadon Heating and Cooling; Sunrays Travel; Sunrays Tanning and Hair Salon; and ServPro of Southern and Central Jefferson County.
He said their second installation was for a pregnant woman whose air conditioning was broken.
“We aren’t getting as many calls as I thought we would get,” Draper said. “Pride probably has got a lot to do with it. But the last few days, the weather has been fairly decent. As it heats up (and word gets out), we may get some more calls.”
Anyone who is in need of a window air conditioning unit may call De Soto Police at 636-586-8891, or email rickdraper@desotomo.com and include your name or the name of the person needing assistance, your phone number and the address in need of a unit.
“We aren’t doing a huge vetting process,” he said. “We are asking them if they have a need.”
Draper said one window unit will not cool down an entire house, but it will provide residents with some relief for a room or two in the house.
“At least they will get some relief from the heat,” Draper said.
He said they are focusing on people who don’t have any working air conditioning, but the project could expand to help with additional units per house. They also are focusing on residents of De Soto.
“I know there are people out there who don’t have an air conditioner. We are focusing on the city limits, but if you are close, we are not going to turn down a need,” Draper said. “It will be a case-by-case basis. If someone (further away) reaches out, we will try to help as much as we can.”
He said it has been refreshing to be part of the project in the community.
“It’s kind of refreshing actually,” Draper said. “It never ceases to amaze me when people realize there’s a need, how quickly they donate. Crystal bought an air conditioner for a lady she’s never even met.”
Steger said he is proud the department is leading this project.