By admin 
TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – For the first time this year, Tucson is expected to see temperatures in the triple digits for consecutive days starting on Wednesday, May 21.
Read more Fort Huachuca bans personnel from weed shops, smoke shop, bar, taxi service
But many holistic heat mitigation resources like cooling centers don’t open until June 1.
Which leaves the question of what is out there to help people stay cool. One person who looks to be the answer is Major Andres Espinoza with the Salvation Army Tucson.
“We went to look for the less fortunate people, because we want to give away the things that they need,” Espinoza said.
The Salvation Army runs Operation Chill Out every year to bring resources to the unhoused population during the summer.
“That need is out there, and the Salvation Army tries to do the best for the unfortunate people in the streets,” Espinoza said.
Espinoza and volunteers bring much-needed resources like water, sunscreen, snacks, and cooling towels to those in need during the hottest time of the year.
The program technically isn’t supposed to start until June 1, but the high on Thursday will be 103, so Espinoza and company are making an exception.
“(The start date) depends on the temperature, probably in May (is when we start), the last week of May. But if the temperatures start rising above 102 degrees, we go for the operation,” Espinoza said.
June 1 is the normal start date for many heat mitigation programs around the Old Pueblo. But with temperatures in triple digits, officials said they have been trying to expand what they can offer.
Read more 15-year-old boy faces charges after mass shooting at Glendale’s Westgate
“We already saw some very hot days in March and April. We are seeing that it’s getting earlier and earlier, and so we are encouraging our cooling centers and our participants that heat is kind of year-round here,” said Pima County Emergency Mitigation Program Manager Betsy Camara.
Right now, Pima County has seven cooling centers open out of the 33 it has, including the Primavera Foundation in downtown Tucson. It follows a trend of earlier starts to the summer heat each year in Tucson.
Officials like Camara say the June 1 start date for cooling centers was already pushed up from previous years, and if this trend continues, they plan to expand resources further.
“I think we started mid-June (last year), so we have already updated. We’ve already started earlier as compared to last year, but we are planning ahead and saying, even next year, let’s start earlier,” Camara said.
While people like Espinoza and Camara said they will do their best to expand their resources, it will come down to the community to make sure they have enough to provide for this extended period of time.
“We’re facing the challenges with water, because a lot of people come and they want water. Water is the most needed thing for the less fortunate people.”
The Salvation Army Hospitality House off Speedway is also open now to help give people a break from the heat.
You can find more ways to donate to the Salvation Army for Operation Chill out HERE, or if you want to find out how to help cooling centers with resources or volunteering, you can find a list of them HERE.
Read more Cooling centers open across Pima County as summer heat approaches
Be sure to subscribe to the 13 News YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@13newskold