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Houk AC’s Helping Hand Program

At Houk Air Conditioning, we believe in giving back to the communities that have supported us for so many years. That’s why we created the Helping Hand Program—a local outreach effort that provides free heating and cooling systems to deserving families in need.

Partnering with top HVAC brands, our mission is to bring comfort and relief to those who need it most during the holiday season. Whether it’s a military veteran, a first responder, a teacher, or any community member who’s made a positive impact, our goal is to lift up good people facing financial challenges and give them a helping hand.

If you know a friend or neighbor whose life would be changed by this support or if you yourself could benefit from a new HVAC system, we encourage you to submit a nomination. Help us provide comfort and stability to a family in need—just a few moments of your time can make a difference!

Submit a Nomination

Who Is the Perfect Candidate?

Our criteria for Helping Hand nominees is flexible; however, we look for individuals who:

  • Currently face financial hardships & cannot afford a new HVAC system
  • Demonstrate a genuine need for improved heating or cooling in their home
  • Own a home valued below $400K
  • Have positively impacted the community in some way, for example:
    • Military veteran, first responder, teacher, public service worker, volunteer, mentor or youth coach
  • Are committed to the well-being of their family & community but need a helping hand.

If you have a friend or neighbor who fits this description, fill out our submission form. It only takes a few minutes to potentially make a great impact on someone’s life.

Nominate Someone Today

What’s Included?

Recipients of Houk AC’s Helping Hand Program will receive:

  • A free HVAC system, including equipment and labor installation
  • 10 year parts and labor warranty donated by JB Warranty
Stories of Success

Hear From Helping Hand Recipients

Helping Hand

Matthew Rymer

Texas

Thanks to our Helping Hands program, Houk Air Conditioning partnered with Trane to provide Matthew Rymer’s mother, Linda, with a brand new heating and air conditioning system. Linda has battled cancer and COPD without a functioning central AC system for the last 10 years. Houk was grateful to lend a helping hand to ensure that she has the heating and cooling that she needs!

Helping Hand

John & Kathy Vick

Texas

Houk Air Conditioning and Trane partnered to donate a new high-efficiency system to John & Kathy Vick. Their daughter has recently moved in with them due to illness, and they have nursed her back to health – and thanks to the Helping Hands program, they can rest assured that she has clean air to breathe.

Helping Hand

Charlie Canter

Texas

Long-time Houk customer Charlie Canter is a former Grand Prairie policeman, and he still volunteers in the department to this day. His commitment to serving his community truly embodies what our Helping Hands program is all about, which is why Houk Air Conditioning and Trane partnered together to donate a brand new system! Houk also installed his initial system 33 years ago as well as his replacement 18 years ago, and his loyalty made him an even more deserving recipient! Thanks to the Helping Hands program, Canter has peace of mind for years to come!

Helping Hand

Matthew Rymer

Texas

Thanks to our Helping Hands program, Houk Air Conditioning partnered with Trane to provide Linda Rymer with a brand new heating and air conditioning system. Linda has been battling cancer and suffering from COPD, and has not had a functioning central AC system for 10 years. Houk was grateful to lend a helping hand to ensure that Linda has the heating and cooling that she needs!

Helping Hand

Ipson & Florez Families

Texas

The Ipson and Florez families described their donation from the Helping Hands program as a “dream come true”. Their system had recently broken, leaving them without heating or air, and upon further inspection, their ductwork had unhealthy debris buildup as well. The recipient was diagnosed with Stage 4 kidney cancer which attacked her lungs, and the poor air quality in the home made breathing difficult throughout her recovery. Houk Air Conditioning was blessed to be able to help such a deserving recipient and ensure she has a healthy, clean environment to live in!

Helping Hand

Chase Yarborough

Dallas, TX

Chase Yarbrough lived in his Dallas home with no central heat and air. Chase served our country as a Vietnam War Veteran. As a thank you for his service, Houk and Trane were proud to provide Chase with a new, high efficiency Trane system for his home at no cost.

Helping Hand

Robert Vasquez Family

Grand Prairie, TX

Houk AC and Carrier were proud to donate a brand new HVAC system to the Robert Vasquez family of Grand Prairie, Texas in February, 2021. Robert retired from the U.S. Army as a Staff Sergeant and is a recipient of a Purple Heart from wounds he received while serving in Iraq. It was an honor for Houk and Carrier to give back to this brave American hero. In the past two years, Houk AC has donated 7 HVAC systems to families in need through their Helping Hand program.

Helping Hand

Rosa Sifuentes

Arlington, TX

Good people deserve a break, a helping hand to pick them up when they are down. This was exactly the case with hard working Rosa Sifuentes of Arlington. Rosa and her two sons lived with no working central heat and air for almost eight years. See how appreciative she is to Houk and Trane for their system donation to her in this video feature.

Helping Hand

Stephen Cole

Arlington, TX

Stephen Cole will no longer have to press into service three AC window units to help cool his Arlington, Tx home during the long, hot Texas summers. Gone are his constant struggles and worries to keep the 34-year-old HVAC system in his home working to keep his family comfortable, thanks to a brand new central heating/ac system his family received as a donation from Houk Air Conditioning and Trane. Cole, retired from the Dallas Police Department after a 20 year career. The Houk Helping hand donation was a way for Houk and Trane to thank Stephen for his service to the community. Through their Helping Hand program, Houk AC has donated seven new HVAC systems to families in need as of February, 2021

Helping Hand

Sherley Brown

Houston, TX

Sherley Brown of Houston no longer has to endure another blistering Houston summer with an aged AC system that was constantly breaking down thanks to a Helping Hand donation from Houk and Lennox.

How It Works

The Nomination Process

Step One

Fill out our submission form detailing why you think the person you are nominating is deserving of a free HVAC system.

Step Two

Our team reviews submissions from October through December.

Step Three

If your submission hasn’t been selected, you’ll receive an email letting you know.

Step Four

During the review process, we reach out to applicants to gather more information about their nominee and choose from these submissions to proceed to the second stage of the nomination process.

Step Five

If selected, we’ll conduct a home visit to learn more about the nominee and determine if they are a good fit for our program.

Step Six

From our pool of nominations, we choose approximately 10 community members to receive a free HVAC system and installation.

Step Seven

We perform the installations starting in January and through February.

Step Eight

Our program includes one year of free HVAC maintenance in addition to the system and installation, ensuring that the donated HVAC system functions optimally.

FAQs

Your Helping Hand Questions Answered

As we review submissions from October through mid-November, we’ll contact each applicant and let them know whether their nominee has been selected as a good fit for the program or not.

Helping Hand isn’t a non-profit organization; it’s a community outreach program created by Houk AC to support those in need, providing heating and cooling systems to deserving families.

We ask for equipment donations from top HVAC manufacturers we have relationships with and we donate the labor. In the event that we don’t receive equipment donations, Houk AC covers the cost of the equipment.

Yes, we only donate new, top-quality equipment from industry-leading HVAC manufacturers.

We accept submissions throughout the year. However, the selection process takes place from October through mid-November.

Yes! If you fit the criteria for our Helping Hand Program, you are welcome to nominate yourself.

We try to increase the number of systems we donate each year. In 2024, we hope to donate 10-12 systems across our Texas locations.

We accept submissions for nominees in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and Austin metropolitan areas.

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