For nearly 30 years, longtime Mesa resident Ed has called his modest mobile home his sanctuary. But this summer, when his air conditioning unit failed, that sanctuary quickly became unbearable. With daytime highs exceeding 115 degrees, the inside of Ed’s home sometimes reached an astonishing 125 degrees.
“I tried to manage with a borrowed swamp cooler,” Ed explained. “But I had to dump water out all day just to keep it running, and it never really cooled anything down.”
The cost of a new air-conditioning unit—often well over ten thousand dollars—was simply out of reach. That’s when Valley nonprofit AllThrive 365 stepped in. The organization helped Ed apply for the Healthy Homes Air Conditioning Program, a resource that assists low-income households with AC repair or replacement to make their homes safe during the brutal Arizona heat.
Ed didn’t have a computer, so the team at AllThrive 365 guided him through the entire process by phone. Within just five days of his first call, a professional crew was at his door installing a brand-new 3.5-ton air-conditioning unit.
“It felt like a miracle,” Ed said. “I went from sweating day and night to sitting in a comfortable 77-degree home. It’s more than just cool air—it’s peace of mind.”
For Ed, who lives with bipolar disorder, depression, and anxiety, that peace of mind has been life-changing. “When you’re hot and can’t sleep, everything feels worse,” he said. “Now I can rest, I can think clearly, and I’m not scared of the summer anymore.”
Katie, with AllThrive 365, said Ed’s story really resonated with her. “What stuck with me most was when Ed told me he’d never asked for help his whole life,” she said. “It breaks my heart that there’s such a stigma around asking for help, because there really shouldn’t be. Everyone needs a hand sometimes.”
Katie explained that each recipient of the program completes a short pre- and post-survey, helping them track the impact of their work. “We’ve found that after getting a new AC unit, people report fewer doctor and hospital visits, and their overall physical and mental health drastically improves,” she said.
AllThrive 365 continues to help as many people as they can, but with the average AC unit costing between $10,000 and $12,000 in Arizona, donations are vital to reaching more families in need.
As Katie shared, their goal is simple: “We just want people to live safely and comfortably in their homes.”
If you’re looking for a meaningful local cause to support this holiday season, AllThrive 365 is a wonderful choice—helping neighbors like Ed find safety, dignity, and peace of mind right here in the Valley.
As Ed put it best: “They didn’t just fix my AC—they gave me back my home.”
