The new A/C unit hums in harmony with the choir and church organ.
SAN ANTONIO — Nearly two weeks after thieves stole the main air conditioning unit from a historic west-side church, a local HVAC company stepped in to bring both relief and restoration.
St. James AME Church, a longtime staple in the San Antonio community, had its 5-ton air conditioning unit stolen overnight on Aug. 2. With replacement costs well beyond their means, the congregation feared they’d be left to sweat through the final stretch of summer.
But after KENS 5 aired the story, viewers responded with compassion and action.
“People were surprised and were like, ‘Oh no, they did this to a church?’” said Pastor Cynthia Ladson of St. James AME Church. “From there, the conversation went, ‘Well, I’ve got a 5-ton condenser,’ and then somebody else said, ‘I can install it!’”
Pastor Ladson said the outpouring support began in the Facebook comments under the original report. Within days, the church received 15 calls from people offering help.
Among them: Above All Air, a local, family-owned HVAC company. Co-owner Lauren Gutierrez and her husband John Thunert, who’s the owner, said a friend sent them the news story, and their decision to step in was instant.
“We’re a company that likes to serve the community,” Lauren Gutierrez said. “When someone is accepting and willing to accept a gift like that – it gives us a warm feeling as well.”
With help from their supplier, Reese HVAC in San Antonio, Above All Air donated and installed a brand-new A/C unit just three days ago — a blessing that now hums in harmony with the choir and organ.
“Having people have that conversation and willing to help, that was just great,” Ladson said.
Gutierrez added that their faith is at the core of their company’s mission.
“There’s a verse that sticks out to me, Isaiah 6:8,” she said. “‘God asks, ‘who shall I send?’ And the response is, ‘send me.’ That’s the kind of company we are. We just want to step in and help when we’re needed.”
San Antonio police continue to investigate the theft. But for now, the church is filled with gratitude — and, once again, cool air.