TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — During these hot summer months, non-profit organization Deejays Against Hunger is making sure the homeless stay hydrated while beating the heat, one water bottle at a time.
Helping Tucson's homeless community with water and fighting dehydration deaths is the mission of Deejays Against Hunger.
Sunday July 27, volunteers along with members of the Chosen Few Motorcycle Club passed out over 1,100 bottles of water to the homeless at 10 different parks throughout Tucson.
Naiwah Standingbear says she's been homeless since 2016 and an act of kindness goes a long way.
“I think it really does offer like a glimpse of hope for a lot of us because usually doors are slammed in our faces or you know, backs are turned to us when we really do need some help," Standingbear said. "Some of us do and some of us don't, granted that some of us are often more than capable of helping ourselves, but sometimes some of us just get lost in different things that are going on in our private lives."
According to Pima County, each year, nearly 2,000 people visit Arizona emergency rooms because of heat-related illnesses.
DJ Jahmar Anthony, founder of Deejays Against Hunger, says the goal is simple - save lives with something as basic as clean water.
“It is real hot. Dehydration is a real thing in Arizona so this is our way of saying we're gonna fight against dehydration and deaths in the desert," Anthony said.
Lee Bloxham, member of the Chosen Few Motorcycle Club, says not only is helping the community important, but leading by example - showing their kids what it's all about.
“Just positive influence, trying to give back to the people less fortunate. Make him realize that what he has is a little bit more than what he thinks he has," Bloxham said.
Standingbear says she did have a home but when she lost her daughter a few year ago, she lost herself.
"Little by little everything started slipping out of my hands and the next thing you know, I'm out here in the streets," Standingbear said. "It started out as coming to get treatment for cancer and then not being able to go home cause of COVID and then it was just like a domino effect."
She said when people help her community, it encourages her to pay it forward.
“It gives us the motivation to wanna help out. We want to go and clean up our community. We wanna go and you know, volunteer somewhere. We have more than nothing but time on our hands, so if you give us the opportunity you never know," Standingbear said.
Anthony has been hosting his annual No Dehydration Day for eight years with his organization and the past four years he's partnered with the Chosen Few Motorcycle Club.
He says they will continue to make a difference.
“Cause one day you never know. I may be homeless one day or maybe one of my children homeless and hopefully somebody shows them the same kindness," Anthony said.
To stay up to date with future events by Deejays Against Hunger, you can follow the organization on Facebook and Instagram.
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Vanessa Gongora is KGUN 9's Westside reporter.. Vanessa fell in love with storytelling by growing up in sports. She was fascinated by how sports reporters go beyond the x's & o's to tell players' stories, and how sports bring people together, inspiring Vanessa to provide the same impact as a journalist. Share your story ideas and important issues with Vanessa by emailing vanessa.gongora@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
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