Las Vegas food delivery struggles amidst intense heat wave
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – The excessive heat that is hitting the Las Vegas valley is taking its toll on the volunteers who devote their time to delivering food to those in need.
Rodney Smith and his friends are some of those volunteers, and they are finding creative ways to prevent food from spoiling and to stay cool themselves.
“Our seniors seemed to be the most stressed by the heat,” Smith said. “Oftentimes, they’re living in apartment complexes that may not have all the necessities and one of those is air conditioning. Many times, their doors and windows are open because that’s their air conditioning.”
Smith said that can make it a challenge for him when he is out delivering food. His focus is the Historic Westside and some areas in North Las Vegas.
The heat can also take its toll on the food.
“As long as we keep it in the shade these things last pretty well,” Smith said.
He added that the food is donated from the Amazon Food Distribution Center.
Smith and his friend Douglas Randles manage to carry all the food in his pick-up truck, but there’s one problem. The vehicle’s air conditioner doesn’t work.
“Yeah, so the only air conditioning we got is 60 mph with the windows down, and at 113 degrees it’s pretty warm,” Randles said.
Health experts warn that the excessive heat is very dangerous for those like Smith and Randles working outside.
“You need to take more frequent breaks. You need to hydrate yourself more frequently. You need to get out of direct sunlight and cool yourself off more frequently,” Dr. Ketan Patel, UMC Medical Director for the emergency department, said.
As for Smith and Randles, they said the heat won’t stop them.
“I love teaming up with him because we all have the heart to help these people, and there’s a lot of people that need help right now,” Randles said.
On the Fourth of July, they plan to hand out food to veterans who are in need.
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