Crews handed out a variety of items, including shades, water-drenched towels and sandwiches.
SAN ANTONIO — As scorching-hot temperatures invade the Alamo City this week, nonprofit organizations such as Haven for Hope are stepping up by offering the homeless community cool relief.
Street outreach teams across San Antonio have been working together in reaching out to as many homeless people as possible due to the dangerous triple-digit temperatures.
Chris Naughton, outreach manager for Haven for Hope, started off the morning by visiting a small homeless encampment located near San Pedro Avenue and Basse Road.
“I know they’re out here struggling, I know how the weather is out in Texas, it’s not a fun time,” Naughton said. “It can be really hard. We’ve lost a couple people this last year because of the heat.”
Crews handed out a variety of items, including shades, water-drenched towels and sandwiches.
If asked, Haven for Hope is willing to drive homeless community members to shelters.
“We give everything from water bottles, snacks, hygiene, sunblock, everything they need to survive in the heat.” “We want to keep them hydrated and healthy. But the ultimate goal is to get them into shelter.”
Brandy Blevins and her dog “Papi” were among those who benefited from Haven’s outreach teams Tuesday morning. She’s grateful for the assistance since being homeless for the past two years.
“That’s going to help out a lot, the cooling towels and of course the bug repellent and Papi’s food,” Blevins said.
“Yeah, I’m probably going to have to find somewhere to hide for the triple digits because I don’t think me and Papi can handle it,” Blevins said.
Haven for Hope’s outreach crews have also been handing out flyers with QR codes that list locations of the 60 city-operated cooling centers.