Almost 30,000 bottles of water have passed through HELP’s warehouse on East Flamingo Road in southern Nevada, resulting in countless interactions and service offerings for the unaccomodated throughout the Las Vegas Valley.
HELP of Southern Nevada last month called for more donations for its “HELP2O” water campaign. Now in its 10th year, the promotion accepts bottled water that is regularly distributed to the homeless at risk during the muggy Las Vegas summers. It runs until August 31st.
Since the beginning of the action on 1.
You came at a crucial time, Quinn said. Extreme temperatures this summer, including two record-breaking heat waves in the valley, have hit people who often spend their days outdoors. Without adequate hydration, heat-related illnesses are more likely.
“It’s got to the point where it’s so hot and there aren’t many places to cool off when you can get heat exhaustion or heat stroke, things like that,” she said. “You don’t just walk in the shadows and you are better. They definitely need medical procedure to keep you hydrated and taken care of. It is not something that you can always correct yourself. “
More than water bottles
But the water bottle is just the beginning. Louis Lacey, director of the HELP of Southern Nevada crisis teams, said the team was using every connection to try to provide housing or services to the contact. The goal is not only to keep them hydrated, but also to provide shelter, shelter, or other connections for safety.
“We believe in the multi-engagement paradigm, which means we will continue to work with our homeless customers until they trust us and accept services,” said Lacey. “And as soon as they start accepting services, we will take action and accommodate as many people as possible or put them in shelters or other services.”
While the past few weeks have been cooler than the record temperatures of early July thanks to the monsoon rain patterns, meteorologists say Las Vegas could still heat up in August.
National Weather Service meteorologist Trevor Boucher said recent predictions suggest August has a 50 percent chance of temperatures above average – although it is not defined how far above it is.
“We’re certainly not out of the woods for another extreme heat event,” said Boucher. “Last year we had one of our hottest periods in August.”
Extreme heat does not only affect people during the day. Anyone who spends time outside at night can still feel the effects, he said.
“The lows or the low temperatures overnight never cool down,” said Boucher. “This is going to be a big problem for (the homeless population). Most of us are in apartments or houses, we have air conditioning and so on, so the effects are largely mitigated by just staying indoors. But if you don’t have access to it, it becomes a serious threat to those who need cooling. “
Reach in different ways
HELP officials are using six different outreach programs to distribute water to individuals while they wait for shelter or to show them housing options, Quinn said.
“We have customers who live in tunnels, on the road, and in their vehicles,” she said. “The only way to keep them alive and healthy until we get them into homes or services is by donating water. If we go out there, we won’t bring them a bottle or two of water. We bring out boxes of water and beverages with electrolytes so we know they’ll be hydrated and safe the next day when we visit.
Many large companies donate water pallets, and HELP receives pallets every other month from the Three Square food bank in southern Nevada. At HELP, individuals can also donate water or donate money to buy water. Warehouse workers accept donations Monday through Thursday from approximately 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 1600 E. Flamingo Road. Donations are accepted online here.
McKenna Ross is a corps member of Report for America, a national utility that places journalists in local newsrooms. Contact them at mross@reviewjournal.com. Follow @mckenna_ross_ on Twitter.
