Can family members submit an ARS Cares nomination on behalf of a local veteran or healthcare worker?
Short answer
Family members, neighbors, and community members can nominate a local veteran, healthcare worker, or essential worker for the ARS Cares program. The key condition is that the nominee must own and occupy a single-family residence within an active ARS service area. Selected recipients receive a fully funded HVAC system or water heater replacement, saving homeowners between $5,000 and $12,000 in emergency equipment costs.
Yes, family members, neighbors, and community members can submit an ARS Cares nomination on behalf of deserving local veterans, healthcare workers, or homeowners facing equipment failure across ARS/Rescue Rooter service areas nationwide.
Aging residential mechanical infrastructure creates severe safety risks for vulnerable households, with replacement costs averaging $5,000 to $12,000 nationwide across standard residential equipment. Community nomination programs bridge this financial gap when catastrophic heating, cooling, or domestic hot water failures strike essential community workers and military veterans.
If you only do one thing: Verify that the nominee owns and occupies the single-family residence before submitting the entry to ensure the property meets standard program installation criteria.
- Nomination Eligibility: Family members or friends submit entries on behalf of homeowners within an active ARS service footprint who demonstrate notable community service, military background, or critical financial need.
- Equipment Scope: Selected recipients receive a fully funded residential HVAC system or domestic water heater, covering complete unit replacement, standard 240-volt electrical or gas venting connections, and professional installation labor.
- Application Details: Submissions require the nominee's full property address, equipment age or failure status, and a 100-word to 500-word summary detailing their military, healthcare, or community contributions.
- Technical Site Assessment: Local field technicians perform an on-site load evaluation and inspect existing infrastructure, verifying electrical service amperage (such as a 100-amp or 200-amp main panel) and ductwork static pressure before sizing the unit.
- Program Execution: Selected recipients are scheduled through local branch operations, coordinating municipal mechanical permits and a full 1-day to 2-day commissioning cycle backed by company service standards.
- Watch out for: Submitting nominations for tenant-occupied rentals or multi-family properties, as installations are designated specifically for owner-occupied single-family homes.
- Watch out for: Omitting specific details regarding the nominee's service record or mechanical failure history, which are essential for selection committees evaluating submissions within regional 30-day review cycles.
- Watch out for: Pre-existing electrical panel or distribution ducting deficiencies below regional building codes that must be remediated prior to final equipment startup.
Check current program submission dates online or call ARS/Rescue Rooter customer support at 866-399-2885 to confirm regional nomination windows.