Sweetwater Senior Citizens Receive Safety Tips for Beating the Heat
By: Natalie Ferrari
Updated: July 17, 2012
A number of senior citizens received lunch and a few energy saving
resources in Sweetwater on Tuesday, all with the goal of helping them beat
the heat.
We're pushing through one of the hottest months of the year, and the Big Country has been no exception to the heat. That's why the city of Sweetwater's Senior Nutrition Activities Program, also known as S.N.A.P., joined forces with TXU Energy as a part of their annual "Beat the Heat" campaign. But providing energy tips is not only reason this campaign was put into action.
"This program started as an awareness program as a result of several deaths we were experiencing related to heat," says the Manager of Community Relations with TXU Energy, Lacy Lee Sperry.
Sweetwater Mayor, Greg Wortham, also teamed up with volunteers to help hand out daily lunches to a few home-bound seniors, as well as provide guidance on staying safe in the heat.
"To [be able to] help people, to visit with them about their electric bills and what they can do to lower them and to help them take small tips to lower their bills but still maintain their comfort and their health," says Mayor Wortham.
Which is why both budget and health are one of their biggest concerns during the hottest time of the year.
Sperry with TXU Energy also emphasizes to us, "...whether it's in the 90's or the 100's, seniors are still susceptible to heat related emergencies so it's very much a priority for us to educate them on ways to stay safe in their homes and ways to avoid those heat related emergencies."
It's also important for home-bound seniors to be aware of their energy usage and consumption, especially since many rely on fixed incomes.
We're pushing through one of the hottest months of the year, and the Big Country has been no exception to the heat. That's why the city of Sweetwater's Senior Nutrition Activities Program, also known as S.N.A.P., joined forces with TXU Energy as a part of their annual "Beat the Heat" campaign. But providing energy tips is not only reason this campaign was put into action.
"This program started as an awareness program as a result of several deaths we were experiencing related to heat," says the Manager of Community Relations with TXU Energy, Lacy Lee Sperry.
Sweetwater Mayor, Greg Wortham, also teamed up with volunteers to help hand out daily lunches to a few home-bound seniors, as well as provide guidance on staying safe in the heat.
"To [be able to] help people, to visit with them about their electric bills and what they can do to lower them and to help them take small tips to lower their bills but still maintain their comfort and their health," says Mayor Wortham.
Which is why both budget and health are one of their biggest concerns during the hottest time of the year.
Sperry with TXU Energy also emphasizes to us, "...whether it's in the 90's or the 100's, seniors are still susceptible to heat related emergencies so it's very much a priority for us to educate them on ways to stay safe in their homes and ways to avoid those heat related emergencies."
It's also important for home-bound seniors to be aware of their energy usage and consumption, especially since many rely on fixed incomes.
