SEATTLE — Due to extreme heat, the King County Regional Homelessness Authority has activated its severe weather response, which doesn’t allow for any barriers – like transportation for example – to get in the way of vital hydration and cooling.
"Would you like some water?" said Arlene Hampton, Director of Programs at Salvation Army Seattle.
There's really no better way to describe how it feels to down an ice-cold water on a day as hot as this.
"Yeah we have a heat wave comin'!" shouted one man. "We have a heat wave comin', absolutely," replied Hampton.
Hampton and her team spent the day passing out cold water bottles to unhoused neighbors in downtown Seattle and informing them about newly opened cooling shelters.
Excessive heat is tough on anyone, but especially people experiencing homelessness.
Hampton said, "Everything from kidney failure to heart attacks to strokes, spike up during this time when the weather is like this."
Many living on the streets are at risk for medical emergencies when temperatures become severe.
"Today is hot," one man told us. "No good."
The supplies are being funded by the King County Regional Homelessness Authority, and distributed by the Salvation Army's Street Level Team.
"The unfortunate reality is this is a growing need, ya know, homelessness in the Seattle area continues to increase," said Hampton.
They plan on spending the rest of the week out meeting the homeless where they are.
"It's good," one man told us. "Thank you so much."
Hampton said it feels good to provide offerings to a community that needs it.
"Offering them this, offering a smile, it offers them hope," said Hampton.
Another offering is the cooling shelter they have now opened at Seattle City Hall on the lower level. It'll be open for the next three or four days from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
"You can go there and just hang out," said Hampton.
Besides just the refreshing air conditioning they offer, they also offer free water bottles, as well as hygiene kits, which include towels, toothbrushes, combs and the like.
"If you don't have air conditioning, find some right. Find somewhere that has, keep yourself cool," said Deputy State Fire Marshal Gregory Baruso. He said cooling shelters can be useful for anyone, homeless or not.
"A lot of folks don't think you get power outages around this time of year, but you sure can. So please prepare for that."