Lee BIA Builders Care surprised Army vet with air conditioning

Reporter: Tiffany Rizzo
Published:

A 67-year-old Army veteran in Lehigh Acres lived without air conditioning for five years.

That stopped on Wednesday after Lee BIA Builders Care surprised her with a new HVAC system so she can live comfortably in the Florida heat.

Dolores Armstrong lost her A/C in 2017 when Irma struck.

She was at first shocked by the surprise and then her emotions kicked in.

Lee BIA Builders Care installed an A/C unit at the home of Army Veteran Dolores Armstrong, who has lived without it since Hurricane Irma.

“It’s just that I’m happy. These are tears of joy. That’s it. That’s all I could say. I thank everybody for doing this,” Armstrong said.

She lives in the home with the brother she cares for and her two dogs.

“We went without it for so long,” Armstrong said. “I can’t afford to buy a new one.”

Armstrong said she planned just to continue living without it.

Dan Squire, a sales rep with Haines Air Conditioning, said he was excited to install this ahead of Veteran’s Day.

Lee BIA Builders Care installed an A/C unit at the home of Army Veteran Dolores Armstrong, who has lived without it since Hurricane Irma.

“Being able to come here and fix this. It’s very touching. I wish we would have been here sooner,” said Charles Thornton, a board member with Lee BIA Builders Care.

Thornton said no one should live in Southwest Florida without A/C.

“The goal of the Builders Care is to help the handicapped, the disabled, the elderly,” Thornton said. “I think a lot of people don’t know that we’re here and don’t know how to reach out if they’re having problems like Dolores (Armstrong) has.”

It took Armstrong five years to reach out to the group, but not that she has; she said it’s like a dream.

“Thank God,” Armstrong said. “I still can’t believe it.”

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Lee BIA Builders Care provides emergency home repairs to elderly or disabled homeowners in Lee County who don’t have the means to make the repairs themselves.

For more information, visit their website.

 

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