A military veteran and retiree with 22 years of service including time in Afghanistan recently received some special help during a very hot summer.

Charles Propes and his family had been without air conditioning at their home in Midway, GA, for a while, which has been uncomfortable during this hot summer. Getting a new air conditioning unit, much less an entire system, can be a big, unexpected expense. According to Propes, “It’s been an uncomfortable summer, no doubt about it. “ Propes and his family have faced a number of personal challenges in recent years. “When the people at Canady’s told me they wanted to help, I have to tell you, it was a blessing,” Propes said.

“We heard about Charles’ situation and we knew that we had to do something,” Fred Canady, president, Canady's Heating • Air • Plumbing, explained. “He has served his country with honor and in recent years he and his family have had to face several challenges. We wanted to find a way to help. It made perfect sense to donate and install a new and reliable air conditioning and heat pump system.”

On August 1, the Propes’ family home received a new, energy efficient, 15 SEER (seasonal energy efficiency ratio) heat pump system. This is one of the most efficient systems that a home can have. According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), SEER indicates the relative amount of energy needed to provide a specific cooling output. The DOE notes that central air conditioners are rated according to their SEER and many older systems have SEER ratings of six or less.

“Our employees were honored to assist Charles and his family. We had a team that worked hard to professionally install the equipment that we were fortunate to be able to donate,” Canady said.