At least 200 people are living rough during this heat wave in Greater Moncton.
Temperatures are expected to reach highs of 31 degrees over the weekend, but the Humidex will make it feel more like 40.
Senior Director of Outreach Services at YMCA Reconnect Trevor Goodwin feels the heat is even worse for the homeless than extreme cold, “We haven’t had this level of heat for this long in quite some time. But thankfully, there are places for people to go. We’re setting up a misting tent, in Victoria Park, which we usually try to set up just before noon and it runs until four o’clock. That’s open to the general public as well. Anybody can just walk through the misters and cool off. We have our downtown ambassador program, and they’re walking the streets and biking the downtown area and they’re handing out water and Gatorade, and sunscreen to clients that need it. The YMCA lobby is open at all times during business hours for anyone whether they are homeless or not, that needs space to come in and just sit down and get out of the elements,” Goodwin explained.
St. George’s Anglican church has its breakfast and shower program, and YMCA Reconnect also has its team out in the van, driving around.
“There are fans in the van and we have a cooler and we try to give people that are sleeping truly rough, time to come in the van and cool off, and get a bottle of water. We’re just really spending as much time as we can canvassing the city. If you’re hot and in need, we’re going to assist you,” Goodwin says.
He says one of the issues is sometimes homeless people don’t take care of themselves and aren’t able to access regular resources, so they don’t stay hydrated or nourished, “They may be walking for extended lengths of time or biking, and that makes the warmer months a little more dangerous. In the winter it’s a very visible danger. You can see somebody that is, maybe suffering from hypothermia or having issues being outside in the elements. In the summertime, we’re used to just being outside and being hot and sweaty. Just general exertion, they can start suffering from heat exhaustion and from sunstroke and so forth.”
His suggestion for everyone is if you see someone in distress, or if they just appear to be in need, offer them some water or direct them somewhere where they can access the cool or air-conditioning, “If you feel they’re at a medical risk, don’t hesitate to call 911,” Goodwin adds.
