TUCSON, Ariz. — The Salvation Army announced Thursday that Operation Chill Out is in effect amid the excessive heat warning in Tucson.
The program provides relief for the homeless when the temperature rises to 102 degrees or higher.
William Davis with the Salvation Army says it may be their busiest season yet.
“There’s going to be a lot more people than we’ve ever seen before,” said Davis.
He says the number of people in need has skyrocketed because of the triple digit heat and the pandemic.
“When we go to any of the parks around the city, like Santa Rita, we go anytime the temperature’s 102 or higher,” he added.
Here they distribute supplies to the homeless.
“But we also want to serve anyone who needs help and relief from this hot weather,” Davis told KGUN9.
Here’s how you can help.
“It’s definitely thousands of water bottles each season. So, we definitely need as much water as we can get. We also look for sunscreen, lip balm, hats, umbrellas and sunglasses,” he said.
They have four locations where you can drop off supplies to help those in need.
“We’re open from 9am-4pm, Monday through Friday. If it’s really hot on the weekends, we’re definitely going to be open. We also have people that can drive up to our facilities, and we’ll bring whatever they need to their car,” he said.
Davis also assures they’re following social distancing protocol and CDC guidelines.
“There’s so many more people in need than there ever has before and you;re going to see us in full force these next few days when it’s really hot out there,” he said.
If you would like to drop-off donations, you can go to any of the following locations:
- The Salvation Army Hospitality House, 1002 N Main Ave. 520-795-9671 (bilingual), Open 7 AM to 7 PM, 7 days per week.
- The Salvation Army All Nations Corps Community Center, 1001 N Richey, 520-795-4504 (bilingual), Open 9 AM to 4 PM, Monday through Friday.
- The Salvation Army Amphi Corps Community Center, 218 E Prince Road, 520-888-1299, Open 9 AM to 4 PM, Monday through Friday.
- The Salvation Army Tucson South Corps Community Center, 1625 S. Third Ave, 520-620-1076, Open 9 AM to 4 PM, Monday through Friday.
Heat relief items, such as water bottles, sunscreen, hats and more will be handed out at these locations:
- Santa Rita Park at 22nd Street and Fourth Avenue
- Salvation Army Hospitality House (1002 N Main Ave)
- Salvation Army All Nations Corps Community Center (1001 N. Richey Blvd.)
- Salvation Army Amphi Corps Community Center (218 E Prince Rd)
- Salvation Army Tucson South Corps Community Center (1625 S 3rd Ave)
“We are grateful to our Tucson community their time and generosity. This program is so valuable because it keeps our homeless citizens supplied with the necessary water and relief supplies. Any water or supply donation and volunteer time will help us immensely so we can continue our mission serving the Tucson community during this time of need,” said Captain Ellen Oh, Salvation Army Tucson City Coordination officer.
