Hardworking South OC Family Gets Free AC Unit Thanks To Local Business

MISSION VIEJO, CA — A hardworking south Orange County family just received the gift of the season, after the Duarte-Calderon family of Mission Viejo was gifted with a HVAC system earlier October.

The heating and air conditioning system was gifted thanks to the Lennox Feel the Love Program and local HVAC company and Lennox dealer, Alps Heating & Air Conditioning of Anaheim.

"The Calderon-Duarte family was nominated for their hard work, perseverance, volunteer contributions, and care and concern for the Orange County community." Spokesperson Michelle Gibellino told Patch.

According to Gibellino, both Gastón Duarte and Maria Calderon were born to immigrant parents and are immigrants themselves.

"We didn't have the opportunity to go to college when most of our peers did, but eventually we had the privilege of earning every bit of our college education," Maria told Patch. "We are so proud of ourselves for that."

Maria paid her way through school and managed to complete her role as a full-time student while also working two jobs and an unpaid internship.

Today, Gastón and Maria are just as busy working while raising their three children — 13-year-old Camila, 10-year-old Logan and 1-year-old Maya.

Gastón and Maria recently became first-time homeowners in December 2022 after saving for a decade.

“We sacrificed a lot. We saved little by little through the ups and downs of the economy … We also lost a lot of money during the Pandemic, to the point that we thought that maybe we would never own a home. When we did the home inspection, we found out that the A/C unit was so old it didn’t work anymore.

While the couple lacked the funds to purchase a new HVAC system for their home at this time, one thing they don’t lack is work ethic, and care for their community.

In 2020 after struggling to be able to afford pants for her young son, Maria created a “Buy Nothing Giving Economy” Facebook group for South Orange County residents, which serves as an online forum for people to post items they no longer want.

There are currently 2.9 thousand members, and many local families have benefited from the items people have donated. Not only does this group help those in need, the community has benefited from minimizing waste that goes to landfills, Gibellino said.