GILBERT, AZ — With another round of extreme heat hitting the Valley this week, a Gilbert church is giving people a chance to escape dangerous temperatures.
The Greenfield Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints near Gilbert and Ray Road is one of four church locations rotating through Gilbert's heat relief program this summer. The site is open weekdays, offering air conditioning, hydration and a place for uninterrupted rest.
For Brandon Hunter, the room is more than a place to cool off. He said he had been sleeping in hospitals and casinos, anywhere he could find a place to rest.
"Before I found this place, I didn't know what I was gonna do," Hunter said.
"This was like a stepping stone, gave me like a foundation to build up off of, so I'm appreciative of it," Hunter said.
A woman who asked not to be identified described what her situation would look like without the site.
"Right now, I'd probably be sitting outside actually, just waiting to get a bed at a shelter, me personally," she said.
Paul Cardon, the Greenfield Stake president, said the heat and the need made the decision to participate an easy one.
"Gilbert is hot. Arizona is hot, and when you tie that to people who are trying to make a better life for themselves, it just seemed like a perfect opportunity to give some relief to people during the day who need a little time, a little respite," Cardon said.
Cardon said the site is seeing about 5 to 20 people on average. For the woman who asked not to be identified, the relief goes beyond the air conditioning, it's about how she's treated when she walks through the door.
"I've never came to places that didn't know me, that welcomed me in. I feel like family," she said.
Without a permanent, all-day respite facility of its own, Gilbert says the partnership with local churches fills a critical gap. Cardon said he hopes what's happening at the Greenfield Stake encourages other groups to get involved.
"Yes, we would hope everyone would join and link arms. We would love to work with others as well," Cardon said.
For Hunter, the site is a chance to get back on his feet. “I did wake up on the bad side of the street, but now I'm on this side, inside," Hunter said.
For a list of Heat Relief centers in Gilbert, click here.
