At Dallas-area shelters, the extreme heat is straining resources. One shelter had more than 500 people use its daytime services on a single day in July, employees said, versus the more typical 300 people per day.
“It really does take a toll out here,” said Jathan Jenkins, a 30-year-old Dallas resident who does not have housing. “I can feel it in my chest, and I never experienced that before [experiencing homelessness].”
A man sleeps outside of the Dallas Public Library on July 21. Many people experiencing homelessness say city cooling centers are too far away for them to easily access or aren’t open when they need them most.Michelle Smith, outreach and engagement manager at The Bridge, takes a bag full of health kits and cold bottles of water to homeless people sleeping outside of the Dallas Public Library. Smith distributes water and hygiene packs and offers rides to the homeless recovery center.
Sometimes, all people can muster is a head nod in his direction. When Jackson offers to call emergency services to help, the response is usually the same: “No, it’s just hot.” Capt. Darren Noak at Austin-Travis County EMS said the agency does not track how many heat-related calls it gets to homeless encampments.48 cooling centers set up by the city of Austin
At the Acres Homes Multi-Service Center in north Houston, Renata Chambers, a customer service representative at the community center, said an average of three or four people come in every day to cool down, usually construction workers or others working outdoors. But with only two workers on staff at the community center, Chambers said a large increase of people using the cooling center could potentially overwhelm the staff.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
49 unique ways that Texans and Southerners say it's hot outside, according to GoogleIf you're from Texas or the Deep South, there are countless different ways to say it's hot outside. Google search data proves it.
Read more »
Klein HS coach reunites with former player, Texans head coach Lovie Smith at training camp practiceThe Klein High School coach in his 29th year and his son were Texans head coach Lovie Smith's special guests during Saturday's practice.
Read more »
Critical race theory, civics, Moses: Texans pack boardroom to debate social studies curriculumThe once-in-a-decade rewrite follows months of political battles over ‘Critical Race...
Read more »
What issues matter most to you this election? Help us cover Texans’ top concerns.We want to dive deeper into the issues that keep Texans up at night and the election questions that puzzle them — even if they’re not the ones making headlines. Help us cover Texans' top concerns:
Read more »
What issues matter most to you this election? Help us cover Texans’ top concerns.Help us prioritize the policy issues and election questions we should report on ahead of the November midterms.
Read more »
Temperatures expected to cool across western Washington this weekAfter six straight days of 90° heat, temperatures are cooling off Monday, with temperatures 8-15 degrees cooler than Sunday!
Read more »