Good Samaritan Shelters on Cooling Center Protocol in Santa Maria
SANTA MARIA, Calif. - Good Samaritan Shelters of Santa Barbara County are shifting the focus of their street outreach efforts all over the county for the next couple weeks to “Cooling Center Protocol.”
With much less of a breeze than normal, and the absence of the usual marine layer this morning, you can really feel it when you stand on the blacktop of a parking lot.
And for those who lack shelter in a heat wave, there are people ready to help.
When temperatures rise like they did on Thursday, people who are homeless run the extra risk of heat exposure, exhaustion, and any number of related health issues.
In response, Good Samaritan Shelters of Santa Barbara county is stepping up its outreach efforts.
“When it gets into the mid eighties, 85 or above, we activate our cooling efforts,” says Shawn Cosgrove, a community ambassador for Good Samaritan in Santa Maria.
Staff are hand-delivering to homeless members of the community water bottles, electrolytes, cooling towels, ice packs, and information packets on common signs of heat stroke and exhaustion.
“We really pride ourselves on stepping up and really reacting when things are happening within our county,” says Kirsten Cahoon, Good Samaritan’s Director of Homeless Services. “So when temperatures rise or temperatures cool, we're there to really protect those that are unsheltered.”
They call it “Cooling Center Protocol," and while their shelters and facilities are open, this is more of an outreach operation, where they bring cooling supplies to homeless people in the areas they frequent.
“We understand that there's a huge population out here that they don't have shade and they don't have availability of water,” says Cosgrove. “And so that's why we're out here.”
Representatives tell us they prioritize these street outreach efforts in times of weather extremes and when many of their facilities are full with clients of their rehabilitation programs.
Organizers say that, due to the Central Coast's moderate temperatures most of the time, many homeless people tend to wear warmer clothes, but on days like today, they don't have anywhere to put those extra layers, which only increases their risk.
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