ThirstAid Water Drives To Help The Unhoused Endure Brutal Summer Heat

Caitlin Sievers
·4 min read

PHOENIX, AZ — The summer heat in Phoenix can dangerous for anyone, but especially to those experiencing homelessness, many of whom have no other choice but to spend their time on scorching, unshaded asphalt or concrete.

But ThirstAid, a project of Phoenix's Human Services Campus, aims to provide 2,000 bottles of water to the unhoused each day this summer, in an effort to help keep the unsheltered hydrated to assist them in enduring the Valley's brutal summer season.

"Heat is upon us and heat can be deadly," said Amy Schwabenlender, executive director of the Human Services Campus.

The Human Services Campus's ultimate goal is to ensure that everyone it serves has access to permanent, safe and affordable housing, but in the meantime it aims to help keep those experiencing homelessness as healthy and safe as possible. And in Phoenix in the summertime, when it might regularly reach 110-115 degrees, that means keeping them hydrated.

Around 700 people are currently housed in various shelters on the Human Services Campus and around 1,000 more live unsheltered in the areas surrounding it, Schwabenlender said.

Through ThirstAid, a program started several years ago by St. Joseph the Worker, the Human Services Campus aims to distribute 60,000 bottles of water to those experiencing homelessness in Phoenix each month, or about 2,000 bottles each day.

To help with this effort, the campus is set to host monthly ThirstAid water drives from 9 a.m. to noon on the first Saturday of each month in May through September, beginning May 7.

The drives will accept new, sealed plastic water bottles at its collection location at Harrison Street Gate, 1300 W. Harrison St. in Phoenix. Campus staff and volunteers will be on hand to unload the donations.

Human Services Campus is a nonprofit agency that owns and operates a 13-acre campus at 12th Avenue and Madison Street in Phoenix that is home to 16 nonprofit organizations that provide services and resources to those experiencing homelessness, according to a news release from the campus.

Without ThirstAid, those who are unsheltered sometimes receive water from other aid groups, but those groups typically come sporadically and people can't count on receiving water from them on a daily basis.

Others might sneak onto public or private property to obtain water from hoses or spigots and end up getting in trouble with law enforcement.

And some unsheltered people might have given up on caring for themselves because of a mental or physical health issue and wouldn't seek out water at all on their own, Schwabenlender said.

She added that the demand for bottled water might be slightly diminished this summer since the campus's water fountains have finally been reopened after being shut for around two years to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

Being out in the heat can put a lot of stress on a person, both mentally and physically, Schwabenlender said, especially if that person is spending time on unshaded concrete or asphalt. People who have never had to live unsheltered might not recognize all the struggles that homeless people face, like having to keep life-saving medicine such as insulin in a thermos because they don't have a refrigerator. Insulin loses its efficacy when exposed to extreme temperatures.

Delirium from the heat can contribute to poor choices that might, "cause a further downward spiral for people already living in toxic stress," Schwabenlender said.

Those experiencing homelessness might also be the target of criticism from community members when they seek out relief from the heat, for example by riding a bus or light rail for an extended period of time or by spending the day inside a library.

"That might be safest choice they make all day, but they're judged for it," Schwabenlender said.

Aside from basic human compassion, helping those experiencing homelessness get through the summer by providing water and other services is cheaper than the alternative.

If an unhoused person becomes seriously ill and needs emergency services or a visit to the emergency room, that adds costs to public systems that we all use and pay for, according to Schwabendlender.

It also takes police officers away from catching serious criminals when they have to deal with people trespassing to get access to water, for instance.

Schwabenlender and her colleagues at the Human Services Campus are asking Phoenicians to help the local homeless population during the most difficult time of year for many of them.

"It’s sad to me that a lot of people dehumanize people so quickly and say, 'this person is not deserving of help,'" Schwabenlender said.

In addition to its water drives, the campus always accepts donations of hygiene products, and has an urgent seasonal need for:

  • Deodorant

  • New adult underwear and socks (in packages)

  • Electrolyte packs

  • Sunscreen

  • Hats

  • Visors

  • Solid grey bandanas (no patterns)

  • Sunglasses

  • Lip balm

  • Aloe burn gel

  • Insulated water bottles (half-gallon size are preferred)

Those interested in making a monetary donation can do so here.

ThirstAid Water Drives To Help The Unhoused Endure Brutal Summer Heat originally appeared on the Phoenix Patch