Salvation Army Doing Part During Heat
Filed by Michael Cross in Feature, Health, Local News, News.
August 16, 2011
After a very short cool down, Oklahoma City is heading back into the triple digit and could be breaking a record for the number of days at or above 100 degrees by Saturday.
The Salvation Army is stepping up efforts to take care of the homeless by opening its cooling center in downtown Oklahoma City.
Spokesperson Heidi Brandes says the organization is also providing box fans to the most vulnerable in Oklahoma County.
“That includes seniors age 60 and over, those with chronic health conditions like congestive heart failure and the disabled, and families with infants under 6 months old in the house.”
Heidi says the Bricktown Rotary and Rococo’s in northwest Oklahoma City held a fund drive for 400 more box fans, but more would still be good.
She says normally the Salvation Army helps with utility assistance but Congressional delay in budgeting dried up funding.
“Which means for the 500 families we’re helping every month, we’re turning away 1,200 to 1,500 because simply the funding is not there.”
OG&E customers can help by checking the “lend a hand” box on their electric bill to donate a dollar to the Salvation Army.
events
