Do you remember your school days? Sometime in April you began to count down how many days were left until summer vacation. You knew summer would promise a few weeks of freedom from the everyday grind, and you couldn’t wait for it to come.
What a lot of us – even those of us who ended up working at Open Door Mission – didn’t know then was that, across the United States, summer actually proves to be more deadly than winter for our homeless neighbors. They are in far greater risk for hypothermia or heatstroke, especially if they have no access to some place where they can get in out of the sun. Medication like antidepressants can prevent the body from sweating, contributing to overheating. Heat also tends to make breathing problems worse.
Many homeless people have no access to fresh water, as they are barred from public restaurants and stores. Even when they do have such access, many homeless people won’t drink enough because they don’t have easy access to a restroom on the streets.
Simple food, water and shelter at Open Door Mission can make a life-changing difference for people spending this summer in the streets. That’s why we’re so grateful to a generous community who step up to offer what they can to help neighbors in need beat the heat! Thanks so much for your caring hearts!
The Staff at Open Door Mission