How do the homeless combat the heat? This Framingham man offers a bit of help

FRAMINGHAM — On perhaps the hottest day of the year on Thursday, some of the most vulnerable members of the city's population gathered under the shade of a building near the busy downtown intersection of Concord and Waverly streets.

"Come on, everybody, get out of the sun and into the shade," James Roach, a Framingham resident who lives in his car with his wife and dog, told the growing crowd.

Related: Framingham, Marlborough announce opening of cooling stations

About a dozen people, many with insecure housing situations, met in the parking lot outside Big Boi Meat Market, angling for a piece of the shadow of a nearby building to at least partially escape the blistering, upper 90s sun. They came because Framingham resident Charley Bokor was a single source of refreshment, handing out water bottles to all comers.

"We try to help them as much as we can," Bokor said modestly, as he handed out the water, as well as backpacks containing tampons and other hygiene products.

This is how Bokor, who works for the state Department of Housing and Community Development, spent his lunch break.

Related: Thanks to 'heat islands,' some neighborhoods are hotter than others

Roach said he has known Bokor for five years after meeting him through an outreach program. Bokor calls Roach his "big brother," as Roach helps him organize some of the hand-out sessions on the street.

"I met Charley at the Kendall Street Drop In. He makes sure people out here are warm in the winter, and that he hands out water in the summertime," Roach said. "The people in government, they aren't really doing much to help people. I can name 20 places right now that are empty, where we can take some of these people and house them."

Feeling unwelcome at relief sites

Framingham, like some other communities, offers cooling centers for residents when the hot weather arrives — the Framingham Public Library's Main Branch on Lexington Street, the McAuliffe Branch on Water Street and the Callahan Center on Union Avenue. But some members of the homeless population shy away from those opportunities.

"The homeless are not really welcome in places like the library, to be honest," Roach said.

Bokor said the issue is not that public spaces are not open to the homeless, but rather that the general population makes homeless people feel ostracized when they share those public spaces during extreme heat or cold.

"It's not like the library itself is (unwelcoming), it is other folks — people who might have their children there. There is a stigmatization (with the homeless) that is so bad, it makes people feel unwelcome," Bokor said.

Related: Tips for keeping your dog safe during a heat wave

A woman who identified herself as Kristin and was assisted by Bokor said it's largely the same population that has faced challenging housing issues in Framingham.

"One of my girlfriends just told me to come over, and I came running," Kristin said. "I've been here three years and it's the same people every year. A lot of them have mental illness, drug addiction, but there isn't a lot being done to help them."

Kristin said many members of the homeless community feel like because they are homeless, nobody will hire them — which only exacerbates the issue of food and home insecurity.

"A lot of people don't think that they can work, because they are homeless and they might not wash every day," Kristin said. "That is why you see people out holding signs. Some of it is getting quick money, but a lot of them are doing that because they don't think anybody wants them. They are all capable, but they don't think anyone wants to hire them."

After about 20 minutes, a couple of police officers arrived and advised the group that it must disperse. The parking lot is private property, and loitering isn't permitted.

"This happens all the time, they (the homeless) will go somewhere else, and the police will eventually come and move them along somewhere else," said Bokor, who formerly worked for the South Middlesex Opportunity Council.

Bokor said it's important that people remember to help their fellow citizens, especially during summer's hottest days. He said he would like to see a local church open its doors to give the homeless a place to go during hot days.

"I think if a church could open up and give these people a place to be, that would be really helpful," Bokor said. "I'm just one person, buying some products at BJ's and handing them out on my lunch break."

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Framingham man gives out water to the homeless on stifling afternoon