Business & Tech

First Bank, Energy Care Cool Down County Residents

The bank donates more than 65 window air-conditioning units to those in need in St. Louis City and County.

Many homes in St. Louis City and County will be kept a bit cooler this summer thanks to an air-conditioning unit donation by First Bank and Energy Care.

Thursday morning, First Bank employees at its Hazelwood location loaded up two trucks with 68 air conditioning window units, the most donated in the 15 years of the program.

“In the summer, these homes become convection ovens,” Dennis Kelley, EnergyCare executive director said. “People will be relieved once these are installed.”

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Ed Furman, First Bank senior vice president and chief investment officer, said that the bank does two donation drives each year--one for air conditioning units and the other for electric blankets in the winter. Employees donate money over the month-long period, and the bank purchases the units or blankets.

Energy Care picks up the donations and distributes and installs them for low-income, disabled and elderly residents in St. Louis City and County.

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Furman said that these donations are an important component for the bank, which was founded and chartered here. It’s charter bank is in Creve Coeur.

“We’re still St. Louis folks,” he said. “We were given the opportunity to partner with EnergyCare, and we jumped on it.”

Furman estimates that First Bank has donated more than 580 air conditioners and 1,600 blankets in the past 15 years, which is estimated at almost $100,000.

Kelley said that it could take up to two weeks to install all of the 68 donated units. On average, the company distributes and installs 25-30 per week.


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