TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — As temperatures soar, so does the need for relief. This morning, Tucson city leaders, health officials and local organizations teamed up to assemble relief kits with supplies aimed at protecting the most vulnerable during extreme heat.
1,533 relief kits were packed by volunteers on the Southside:
- 198 feminine hygiene kits
- 239 foot care kits
- 360 heat relief kits
- 169 dog food packages
- 567 care packages (food).
Each one of these kits contains basics like food, water, sunscreen, cooling towels and even shoes. Simple items, but for someone out in triple-digit temperatures, these items can be lifesaving.
“The things that we take for granted in life, others don't. And it's important that people's needs are met and they're met where they are in life no matter what they're going through or what they're dealing with," said volunteer Megann White, with Tucson Collaborative Community Care.
These kits are critical as data shows there have been 60 cases of heat-related deaths in Pima County so far this year, with the most in July at 27.
“We are really doing this work with compassion in mind and how we can really take care of, physically, the people that are most vulnerable in our community," said Mayor Regina Romero.
Ed Alexander, a community volunteer leader with the American Red Cross of Southern Arizona, says they want the kits to reflect what people really need, because sometimes during outreach, people ask for items they don’t always have, like shoes.
“We’re just trying to find out what the people need and provide it for them," Alexander said.
Mayor Romero says items were donated and funded by a federal HUD grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
This event was just the start; on Thursday, Aug. 28th, volunteers will hand out the kits in the community in areas like 100-acre woods and senior living communities.
“And not only for the unsheltered, right, many of the heat relief kits that we give out, we go to mobile home parks and areas of our community where we're getting a lot of 911 calls related to heat illness," said Mayor Romero.
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Jacqueline Aguilar is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9. Born and raised in Yuma, AZ., she is no stranger to the unforgiving Arizona heat. Now this U of A wildcat is excited to be back in Tucson and is looking forward to involving herself in the community. Share your story ideas with Jacqueline by emailing jacqueline.aguilar@kgun9.com or connecting on Facebook, Instagram or X.
