Surprise Squad helps repair Sun City widow’s AC unit, washing machine

SUN CITY, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) -- Patricia is a widow who lives in Sun City. Her husband died a couple of years ago, and after his passing, she no longer had his income to rely on and is now living on a very fixed income. Some months she must decide between paying for medication or food. A few months ago, the drain to her washing machine started overflowing when she used it. When she got an estimate that it would be more than a thousand dollars to fix the situation, she knew she could never afford that and started washing all her clothes by hand in the sink. On top of all that, her AC is nearly 15 years old and not working like it once did.

Her good friend May tries to help by bringing her food, but she has limited funds herself and can’t help with home repairs. So instead, May contacted Arizona’s Family Surprise Squad and asked if the team could help Patricia. The Surprise Squad contacted Tek1 Mechanical and City Plumbing Services and asked the companies if they would pitch in. Both quickly agreed.

With the utility trucks parked around the corner, 3TV’s Gibby Parra knocked on Patricia’s carport door. She and May answered the door, and Patricia could believe who she was speaking with. “I understand because of the washer and dryer issue, you’ve been having to wash your clothes by hand,” Gibby said. “That’s what they did in the old days, I guess,” Patricia answered. “I’ve done it for three months; it’s okay.”

Jason Parker with Tek1 Mechanical inspected her roof and her AC unit. He saw that it was still running, but it rattled and rusted, so he decided to replace it. Ferguson Enterprises provided the high-quality Day & Night unit for him to install. Jason said the new unit will also lower her monthly electric bill on top of making her home cooler during the summer.

Bob Bello with City Plumbing Services checked out the plumbing problem. His team was able to remove the clog that was causing it to overflow. He also upgraded the drain to a bigger size to accept more water when the washer was draining. “Anytime that we can help out a person in need in the community, the feeling itself that it gives us is more than pleasurable,” Jason told the Surprise Squad. “And it’s worth more than a check.”

But the Surprises weren’t finished. “We understand how hard it is living paycheck to paycheck,” Gibby told Patricia. “On behalf of your Valley Toyota Dealers and Arizona’s Family Surprise Squad, we want to give you $5,000 on top of it all.”

Patricia covered her mouth in shock, and tears welled up in her eyes. “Thank you so much. Thank you so much, everyone. God bless you,” she said.

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