May 2014

Transforming Lives. Transforming Our City. PhoenixRescueMission.org

In the past 117 years, Phoenix has never

experienced consistent summer temperatures

like the ones we felt in 2013. The blazing heat

brought us 109 days over 100°, 25 of them over

110°, spiking the average summer high to a sweltering

106.4°. It was the hottest summer ever recorded in

Phoenix.

That’s the good news.

The bad news is, this summer is predicted to be

even hotter.

For people like you and me, the promise of

another extreme summer is a comfort issue. It means

another season of hot cars and high energy bills. But

for those out on the streets, the over 13,000 men,

women and children in Maricopa County who

have no escape from the heat, it’s more than just

inconvenient.

It’s deadly.

Last year, record-breaking temperatures claimed

102 lives here in the valley due to dehydration and

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INSIDE 2It’s Time Again for Code Red

4Skip found an Oasis at the Mission

5Need for Shelter is Heating Up

themaiNthingkeeping the main thing,

a message from Jay Cory, President and CEO

Another record-breaking summer is fast approaching and that means Phoenix Rescue

Mission needs to be ready to offer protection and respite from the sweltering summer

sun.

Last year our Code Red campaign was a huge success. With the help of our

friends we distributed 425,401 bottles of water to men, women and children in

desperate need. This year, with your help, we are gearing up to reach more of

our vulnerable neighbors than ever before.

To meet the need, our Mission will be expanding the service of our

existing Hope Coach by utilizing volunteer drivers and adding more shifts

throughout the day. This will also help us reach additional areas of the Valley.

We are working to obtain a second Hope Coach vehicle and continue to

expand our outreach to elderly shut-ins living in low income housing.

We are also reaching out to more churches and businesses across the valley, organizations like Scottsdale Bible

Church, Starbucks, Lerner and Rowe, Radiant Church of Surprise and Dunkin Donuts who are instrumental in

our efforts to beat the heat this season.

This summer is already shaping up to be a hot one, but with the prayers and support of friends like you we can

make it a summer of hope for thousands in need of relief!

The Body’s Response to Extreme HeatWhen temperatures remain high for more than 48 hours, our bodies go into overdrive. We escape the heat in air-conditioned cars and homes, stay out of the sun, and drink plenty of water.

But our homeless neighbors have nowhere to escape from the blazing Phoenix summer sun.

They’re at risk for serious illness – and even death!

Brain and Nervous SystemThe brain sends distress signals to the entire body when overheated. Here are some signs someone has had too much heat and sun:

• dizziness • throbbing headache

• fainting • confusion

Heart and Circulatory SystemHeat can send an already overworked heart into crisis. Indicators of heat-related heart stress include rapid pulse, shallow breathing and red, hot, dry skin.

Stomach and IntestinesHeat cramps hit the abdomen and legs hard when you haven’t had enough water. Signs of heat exhaustion include nausea and vomiting.

Feet and Other ExtremitiesAs blood circulates to the extremities of our bodies and returns to the heart, body temperature rises.

Heat swells the feet and makes wearing shoes uncomfortable. The swelling can be painful and may signal a more serious health problem.

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continued from front page

heat stroke. That’s a hundred lives that

could have easily been saved through

something as simple as a bottle of water. We

can do better. We must do better to protect

those suffering in the desert heat.

What makes our summers so lethal is

the fact that many don’t understand how

quickly the dry air and blistering heat

can begin to wreak havoc on our bodies.

According to the Centers for Disease

Control, our extreme temperatures can cause heat stoke to occur in as little as 10-15

minutes of exposure, causing permanent damage to the brain, heart and kidneys. Without

emergency treatment, the damage heat stroke causes increases exponentially from the

time of the attack - leading to death within a matter of hours.

Already the temperatures are starting to rise; Phoenix

broke 90° weeks ago and we are still almost two months

away from the end of spring. We need your help to

make this a safe summer for those caught without

shelter, without access to simple life-saving things like air

conditioning or cool water – by becoming a part of our

Code Red Campaign.

Last summer through Code Red, churches,

businesses and hundreds of friends like you

teamed up with the Phoenix Rescue Mission

to protect thousands of homeless from a

brutal summer. You dropped off water

bottles by the truckload. You helped

hit the streets to distribute cooling

items like sunscreen, chilly neck

coolers and light-colored clothing.

You donated your time, talent and

treasure to make our summer a safe

one for thousands on our city streets.

This summer we need your help to

do it again! Please see page 6 to discover all the ways you can get involved this summer.

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Skip was in a rough spot. Once

making six figures and enjoying

a comfortable lifestyle, when the

economy turned he suddenly found himself

without a job and eventually a home. It

wasn’t long before he was wandering the

streets wondering what had happened to his life.

Skip found himself homeless during the hottest

time of the year. He recalls how unbearably hot it

was living on the streets of Phoenix where the asphalt

can easily reach temperatures of 200° or more.

Skip tells us, “I got dehydrated, and

blacked out one morning, took a nose

dive into the concrete and ended up at

the hospital where I got 5 stitches in my eye.”

Fortunately, a social worker there directed him to the Phoenix Rescue Mission.

Skip remembers “Within 24 hours I started feeling hope. My basic needs were being taken

care of and then some. I realized I had found an alternative to sleeping on concrete and eating out

of a dumpster. You get compassion and counseling from the folks here.”

It’s only

through the

partnership of

our friends that

men, women and

children find the

protection and

hope they need, especially during our sweltering summer months. Thank you so much for the

prayers and financial support that will continue to save more lives like Skip’s this season.

Skip confesses “Since I’ve been here I’ve had a spiritual awakening that I don’t quite

understand yet, but Tuesday Night I gave my heart to the Lord and that’s brought a major peace

to my life. I’ve got the Mission to thank for that! I want to give life another go.”

“I got

DEHyDRATED, AND BLACkED OUT

one morning, took a nose dive into the concrete

and ended up at the hospital where I got 5 stitches in my eye.”

Scan the code to see Skip’s story on video.

#pHXCOderedShare your dashboard temperatures with us by tweeting us a photo of your digital temperature display at its hottest for a chance to win prizes. @phxmission

Spring just started and it’s hot! It won’t be long before triple-digit temperatures become the norm

here in the Valley. At the Mission, we’re already seeing an increased demand for shelter due to

the mounting heat. We’ve even had to open our emergency overflow areas in the chapel and the

lobby. Soon we will open the patio to those needing shelter.

Nighttime temperatures over 90° are enough to cause men on the streets to search for a cool place

to rest – people like Jacinto who are grateful for the air conditioning and the promise of a good meal.

Jacinto explains, “I tried to make it out there on my own. I tried

not to burden anyone. I was too prideful to ask for help. And then

one night I couldn’t take the heat and I was hungry. The next day I

came to the Mission and now I have hope again.”

Others like Nick seek cooler temperatures and the safety our

walls provide.

Nick tells us, “I know it looks like we are crammed in here, but we

are safe. I can actually sleep here without worrying about what might

happen. It is not a good feeling to be

wandering around out there without sleep

or having to sleep with one eye open. I am thankful for this place.”

As the weeks go by and the temperature continues to rise, it’s vital that

we be prepared to serve and equip those caught out in the desert sun.

This coming summer is predicted

to be even hotter than the record

breaking season we experienced last

year. In a few short weeks there will

be thousands in danger of heat stroke

and dehydration simply because they

lack access to simple items like water

and shelter.

Your partnership through Code

Red this season will make sure that every soul who passes our gates finds

what they desperately need - a cool bottle of water, a hot meal and the

opportunity to meet Christ and be transformed.

To find out how you can help protect and save more lives like Jacinto and Nick’s, please visit

phoenixrescuemission.org/codered or give a financial gift today that will help bring hundreds the

support they need to get through another blistering summer.

The Need for Shelter is HeaTiNg Up

“...And then one night I couldn’t take the heat and I was hungry. The next day I came to the Mission and now I have

hope again.”

Clients begin to fill the Mission for the night, carrying bedding and floor mats.

Because of the increase in demand, men sleep in the Chapel which serves as our emergency overflow area.

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To mail a gift: P.O. Box 6708 ~ Phoenix, AZ 85005-6708For shelter & meal service: 1801 S. 35th Avenue ~ Phoenix, AZ 85009602-233-3000 ~ www.phoenixrescuemission.org

Phoenix Rescue Mission would like to thank you for a tremendous year. As you can see, your support really made a difference for men, women and children in the Phoenix area:(Figures from January 1, 2013 - December 31, 2013)

• Total Meals Provided 374,752

• Bed Nights of Shelter 70,908

• Permanent Job Placements 94

• Volunteer Service Hours 27,138

• Bottles of Water Distributed 425,401

Mission Mileposts

SUmmer NeedS

Our need for summer supplies will be greater this year than ever! To serve those at our shelter and on the street, we need the following items:

Cases of Bottled Water Hats

Sunscreen (SPF 60+) Hygiene Supplies

Light-colored T-shirts Chap Stick with SPF

Chilly Neck Coolers White Socks

Granola Bars Sunglasses

Towels Sheets

Pillows

To donate, please call Gail Engstrom at 602-688-6220 or email at gengstrom@phoenixrescuemission.org.

All donations can be dropped off at our donation Center Warehouse at 1468 N. 26th Ave., Phoenix.

We need your help to get the word out and to get

water and heat relief items into the hands of those who

need them most.

Please consider

hosting a water drive

or volunteering on

the Hope Coach. For

those unable to donate

items or volunteer,

please consider giving a

generous financial gift

that will help us beat

the heat! A generous

group of friends is

offering to match

donations to Code Red dollar-for-dollar up to $150,000 in

the month of May.

Thank you so much for the support that will save lives

this summer. With your help, we can make this a season

of hope and protect thousands from the deadly summer

heat. You can stay up-to-date on the progress of our Code

Red Campaign and make online donations by visiting

phoenixrescuemission.org/codered.

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HOW YOU CaN HeLp