Hot weather and the homeless

I'm not going to complain about the hot weather. Our winters are too long for me to take issue with a few hot days. I can say that because I have air conditioning.

But when you're living on the street, there is no such thing as air conditioning. You can find shade but even in the shade, spending a full day outside in this weather isn't healthy. That's why on a day like today our triage staff will spend about 95 per cent of their day walking the grounds, ensuring people are drinking water. In some cases, we don't ask. We just give them some water as often homeless people can be unaware  they're already suffering from the effects of dehydration.

We'll also let people spend time indoors today where it's a lot cooler. For more on hot weather days and the impact on the homeless, please read this story we wrote recently.

Hot weather no treat for homeless

The hot weather we have been experiencing over the last few days is no treat if you're living on the street. In fact, contrary to what many think, the number of homeless people living in shelters does not necessarily go down in the summer. Our numbers are about the same and a Toronto Star story is reporting that demand for shelter services is steady in that city despite the warmer temperatures.

This morning, a colleague and I were talking about how hot it was this weekend. We both agreed the heat was intense, especially downtown where you had the light and heat reflecting off the pavement as well.

So imagine having to live on that street. Yes, a person can find some shade in a park, but can you imagine spending 10 to 12 hours in that heat yesterday?

Thankfully, we have very good frontline staff who know how to help the homeless population when the weather turns this hot. Our story in on the homepage of our website with the headline: Hot weather and the homeless. Please take time to read it.

So is there a way you can help? Absolutely. If you have any summer clothing you would like to donate, please let us know or drop it off at the back door of our building at 233 Murray St. There is no such thing as too little. We'd also graciously accept donations of bottled water. I found a great deal last week at one grocery store. Bottled water was on sale, The price per bottle worked out to less than 20 cents a bottle. I was picking up a case for home so I spent an extra couple of bucks and brought a case into the soup kitchen as well. That's all it takes.

In the meantime, stay cool. The hot weather is here for a few more days.