With temperatures expected to be as high as 40 degrees this coming week, most of us who have access to air conditioning will be staying cool inside. But the homeless population may not have a cool place to go to escape the potentially life-threatening heat.
In response to the heatwave, Kelowna’s Gospel Mission will utilize all three Outreach vehicles during the day over the next week to ensure no one is in distress due to heatstroke, dehydration, and sunburn.
Emergency Shelter Director Karl Heinitz said “As the temperatures rise above 40 degrees this week, Kelowna’s Gospel Mission is releasing OPERATION HEATWAVE. If you live in a tent, under a tree, on a park bench or hidden away, life becomes even more harsh during a heatwave. To bring help and hope to people facing the challenges of homelessness, three of our visibly marked outreach vehicles, will start OPERATION HEATWAVE. Our staff and volunteers will search, find, and serve our most vulnerable community members with a bottle of cold water, a hat, sunscreen as well as a vehicle to cool down in. This is going beyond the three meals that we deliver daily to the vulnerable people of Kelowna.”