In 2018, Lennox, a leading provider of innovative home comfort solutions, launched a new corporate social responsibility program called, Feel The Love™. The Feel The Love program, originally launched as Heat U.P. in 2009, engages Lennox dealers and employees to nominate deserving families in need with access to perfect indoor heating and air, at no cost including installation.

Recipients are selected based on a variety of criteria, including physical, mental, or social disabilities; financial challenges; job loss; military service; and community service. But beyond that, each recipient has one thing in common: they always put others first.

On the first weekend in October, Feel The Love Weekend, Lennox dealers from across the country installed new high-efficiency equipment for the selected nominees, exceeding more than 1,000 families helped over the past decade.

Here are some of the families and contractors from this year’s Florida participants:

• Debbie LaBorde, a single mother of 3 boys, was nominated to Hale’s AC in St. Petersburg by Michelle Jacobsen, her youngest son, Logan’s teacher. Logan was diagnosed with leukemia four years ago and underwent treatments, including chemo until several months ago. She began having troubles with her AC system just after the diagnosis, with temperatures in the house reaching 100 degrees when she returned from work. Debbie had to give up her well-paying full-time job to care for her son, as she has no family members in Florida. She now works as a teacher’s aide, which provides little income but gives her the ability to take her son to doctor’s appointments, still needed. Hale’s AC teamed up with electrical contractor J & L Sanchez Inc. to install a new AC system and upgrade the electrical system in Debbie’s home. The crews also made some needed repairs to her home, including replacing some doors and repairing the soffits. Logan’s last chemo treatment was on July 5 of this year and so far there have not been any secondary cancers or other serious problems.
• Peggie Eveskcige has been a customer of Smith Services in Vero Beach for several years and has been struggling financially for some time. She visits the office to make payments for her AC services and brings in some homemade sweets when she does for their employees. Always looking to help others before she thinks of herself, she was overjoyed with her new Lennox system.
• Derek Smith was nominated by N & M Cool Today of Sarasota for his continuous dedication of fostering over 350 dogs and cats over the past 10 years. Mr. Smith was without AC for 3 years as his financials went to paying for food and care for his passion of fostering animals.
• Kimberlee McMillan is a recipient through Osceola Air of St. Cloud. Kimberlee is a local teacher and single mom who has been raising her daughter alone since the age of 2, when the dad left. She volunteers after hours, tutoring kids for free, especially giving her time in the summer, all to help kids move on to the next grade. She has faced many life challenges that have come her way, all with a beautiful and giving heart and smile on her face.
• Horace Ezell was a nominee that came through FeeltheLove.com. 4 Seasons AC and Heating Inc. of Orlando selected Horace as their recipient and feel he is a perfect candidate for their business. Horace lives with his 80 yr old caretaker (and mind you, Horace is much older) and is a US Veteran. After his service, Horace went on to work for Orange County until he retired. Horace has been a public servant for his entire life and Brian with 4 Seasons wants to thank him for his service.
• Kevin Wilkins was selected by Air Commanders Heating and AC Co. of Haines City. April and Alex of Air Commanders worked with their church and Kevin’s story came up. Kevin is permanently disabled. In addition, he and his wife have an adult son that is also permanently disabled. Mrs. Wilkins works at Mill Creek Elementary as a lunch lady on top of caring for her family.
• Michelle Marie Riley came to All Weather Heating and Cooling of Ocala through the Pay It Forward organization. Ms. Riley is a 40 year-old single mom to two wonderful teenagers (a boy and a girl). Michelle has been battling several illnesses throughout the past few years. She lost her job when she had to take care of her ill mother, who has recently passed away. She is a very involved mom, the kids are good children who go to school and are involved in many activities. Michelle is a very active mom and very focused on raising her kids. She lives in a home that had the original HVAC system (over 20 years old). Currently, she is having a hard time finding employment and getting the relief of a new system for her home will mean she has less to worry in life. She can focus on getting gas money to go to interviews instead of how to pay to fix her AC system again.
• Mr. and Mrs. Devon Catrell of Cape Coral were nominated by his mother as a deserving couple through the Feel The Love program and their system was installed by Comfort Zone Inc.

For more information on the program, visit FeelTheLove.com or contact your nearest Lennox representative.

Additional photos are available here.