August in Oregon has been cooler than usual, but there is still a chance for a heat wave before fall sets in.
If that happens, Catholic Charities of Oregon is ready.
When conditions are hot, the team sets up a misting tent behind the agency’s Southeast Portland headquarters. There, women who are part of the Housing Transitions Program can cool off. Same goes for residents of nearby Catholic Charities affordable housing – and anyone else who walks by.
One concerned client urged an agency employee to stroll through and cool down on a hot day. He took her up on the thoughtful offer.
“We keep frozen water, cold water and room temperature water on hand and offer as much as people want,” says Victoria Waldrep, program manager for Catholic Charities Homeless and Transitional Housing. The Joint Office of Homeless Services provides the H2O.
Staff also give out cooling towels and post information on cooling centers in the area. Catholic Charities offers bus tickets for those seeking a place to escape the heat.
Honor Hehn, outreach case manager, and other workers go out to check on homeless people in the area. The teams bring water, cooling packs, cooling towels, sunscreen and information on cooling centers. Medical Teams International even provided small battery powered fans that workers can hand out at camps.
Hehn said some homeless people can make the mistake of just staying inside a tent in intense heat and the visits are a good reminder to get out and take care.
A cooling mister runs outside Catholic Charities on a hot day.