GILBERT, AZ — The Williams Field Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is opening its first-ever heat-relief and respite center in Gilbert this Tuesday, offering a cool refuge for anyone in need, including the town's most vulnerable residents.
Without a permanent all-day respite facility of its own, Gilbert says the partnership with the church fills a critical gap.
"I think it's important because we're showing that we care about other people and that other people are going through hard situations," Sister Hansen, a missionary from the Arizona Gilbert Mission, said.
Missionaries from across the Arizona Gilbert Mission have been working to get the center ready. Elder Fritz said the effort brought people together around a shared challenge.
"I think it's just, it's really cool that we can all come together and work on one thing, especially because we all have a common problem with it being hot," Fritz said.
Gilbert's latest Point-in-Time Count showed a rise in homelessness, adding urgency to the center's opening. The doors will be open to anyone looking to cool off.
For missionaries like Sister Hansen, the work carries a deeper meaning.
"It gets you to see outside yourself and to see, like, see the people around you. It opens up your point of view and to help those that aren't as fortunate as I am," Hansen concluded.
For more information on heat relief in Gilbert, click here.
