Heat Relief Kits Provide Lifesaving Help
Packed with sunscreen, hats and sunglasses, lip balm and lotion, cooling towels, electrolyte packets, and reusable water bottles, the kits are built by volunteers.
Kit recipients can stay hydrated in the summer sun with reusable water bottles.
When summer temperatures soar, hitting an average of 115°F-plus on many afternoons in Phoenix, those struggling to with housing can walk for hours with little water and no relief from the sun.
In extreme temperatures, dehydration and heat illness can escalate quickly, especially for those without reliable access to cooling centers, transportation, or supplies.
With the increased risk of heat exhaustion or heat stroke, some may struggle to stay conscious, struggle to stay hydrated, and even struggle to make it through the day alive.
Through Valley of the Sun United Way and its role in the Maricopa County Heat Relief Network, volunteers assemble and distribute heat relief kits packed with sunscreen, hats, sunglasses, lip balm, lotion, cooling towels, electrolyte packets, and reusable water bottles.
With support from Verizon and volunteer kit-build events facilitated by Valley of the Sun United Way, the effort has already had a major impact. So far, 10,250 kits have been handed out thanks to the efforts of more than 5,300 volunteers.
One of these kits reached a struggling man right when he needed it most on a scorching summer day.
As soon as he opened the kit, he wrapped the cooling towel around his neck, saying, “This is the first time I’ve felt relief all day."
The kit didn’t just make that moment safer; it changed what the next few hours looked like and gave him vital items he could use to beat the extreme heat in the days ahead.
With electrolytes to replenish what he’d lost, and a water bottle he could refill, he had practical tools to keep moving toward help instead of pushing through and potentially suffering dehydration and heat exhaustion.
As summers grow hotter, Valley of the Sun United Way’s heat relief kit builds and the neighbors they protect are helping our community face the season with more readiness and more care.