IM and TXU Partner to Help Seniors Beat the Heat

Interfaith Ministries and TXU Energy joined forces for the 14^th annual Beat the Heat program Thursday, June 7. The program aims to educate senior clients of IM’s Meals on Wheels program about ways to prevent heat-related emergencies and reduce their summer energy consumption as the hottest days of the year approach.

TXU Energy representatives accompanied Meals on Wheels drivers on their routes and dispensed invaluable advice and helpful emergency information to seniors along with their daily meal. All 4,500 Meals on Wheels seniors received note cards and lip balm printed with the same helpful information. 

Kim Campbell, a senior manager for TXU Energy, delivers a meal and heat safety tips to Mildred Broussard, a Meals on Wheels client.

Some of the tips included:

• Drink a cool glass of water for every 20 minutes of heat exposure
• Wear cool, loose cotton clothing
• Avoid hot, heavy meals.
• Set your thermostat at about 78 degrees in the summer. Use ceiling fans in the “down” mode at the highest speed to push cool air down into the room
• Clean or replace your air conditioning filter monthly to help it run more efficiently. 
•  Replace traditional incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs, or CFLs. You can run four CFLs for the same cost as running just one incandescent bulb. 

“We’ve been doing Beat the Heat for over a decade; it’s really about awareness and safety. Beat the Heat is about staying cool, staying safe and saving money. Seniors are the most at risk during this time of the year, and we’re out trying to help them as much as we can, teaching them various tips on how they can stay safe out in the heat and also save money on their electric bills at the same time,” said Shawn Parker, Manager of Community Relations at TXU Energy. 

To help seniors in your area stay safe and healthy this summer, click here to donate your resources to Meals on Wheels or contact Denise Atkerson to learn about volunteer opportunities.