It’s going to be a hot weekend with temperatures warming several degrees above normal. For the city’s unhoused population or those without adequate cooling, most of the Valley’s 200 cooling centers are now open.
Arene Rushdan is the community resilience program manager with the Arizona Faith Network.
"We're operating right now 10. We like for there to always be more and there's always room for more," Rushdan said.
Rushdan says they have been operating these centers for the last five years. She says every year they evaluate and make improvements, like having nursing students on hand who are logging clinical hours.
"We do also have mobile units that may come by and they may offer testing for HIV, diabetes and things like that," Rushdan said.
Rushan says some of their centers also accept pets.
"Most of our respite centers that we're contracted with do welcome people with service animals because we realize that's very important as well for people in their pets not to be separated," Rushan said.
Phoenix forecast from National Weather Service
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 105 and low around 77. Calm wind.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 106 and low around 78. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 107 and low around 80. Light and variable wind becoming west southwest 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 106 and low around 80. Calm wind.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 106 and a low around 80. Light and variable wind becoming west 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.
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The ordinance requires groups to get permits to provide non-emergency medical treatment in public parks and to offer food distribution events. -
Under a proposed ordinance which would take effect in June, the city of Phoenix would permit only two events for humanitarian food distribution or medical care per month in each public park. -
Keys to Change needs more than a half-million bottles of water for the summer. The organization will host water donation events monthly through September. The first event is Saturday, May 2. -
Tempe leaders from government, construction and education met recently to discuss ways to develop affordable housing. -
Phoenix’s 24/7 heat relief site opens its doors Friday. This is the third year in a row the city has operated an all-hours cooling center.
