With the summer sun in Texas reaching above 100 degrees on a good day, most Texans prefer to stay in their home, AC on blast, for most of the day. But what about those without adequate cooling?
As health professionals advise the big country to stay hydrated and seek air-conditioned spaces, Abilene’s unhoused population struggles to find relief from the heat. Dr. Andy Russell, an emergency medicine physician at Hendrick Health noticed that as temperatures continued to rise, so did the number of unhoused residents seeking help for heat-related illnesses. “ This time of year, we see in the emergency department, we see a lot of heat-related injuries. We've got a large homeless population, so people are always coming in with heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. So that's a big deal, right?”
While last week’s summer showers provided a much-needed break, temperatures are back up this week. Taylor County’s high ranges from 95°F to 97°F, with clear skies and little relief from the wind or cloud. The typical Texas summer is of hot days and warm nights.
As these conditions continue to test the resilience of the city’s infrastructure and residents, some members of the community are stepping in to lend a helping hand, providing additional services to help the unsheltered find relief. From local shops allowing individuals to sit and have a glass of water to shelters distributing cooling packages. But some organizations go far beyond what most would expect.
“We’re normally busy in the morning early to early afternoon as people are waiting for lunch and taking a shower. We had six supposed to sleep in air-conditioning at 3 o’clock, but everybody deserves some good sleep in the air conditioning so we’re gonna disturb them,” said Stephanie Stewart, director of City Light Ministries explains how their facilities allow any Abilene resident to stay cool and come together. “Community partners come to eat with us to meet with folks, but also just take their lunch break here, cause we’re a good gathering spot for them and that’s good to know that they care about you and God cares about you too”
In the waiting room, you can hear typical chatter about life and family. A group in the corner discussing the lunch menu, and almost everyone talking about the weather. Between the jokes and small talk, you can hear some members describing how the heat has affected not only their comfort level but also their health.
“ I mean, we have people as young as 18, and there’s people in their 90s, so it’s a whole range of life. Underlying health conditions are made worse. I mean I called 911 last week because someone had a seizure because they were dehydrated, week before that it was a diabetic coma, because they were dehydrated, and someone passed out because they were dehydrated”.
Summer 2024 is on track to be one of the hottest on record with predicted below-average precipitation and an ever-unsteady state power grid. The importance of Abilene’s community support and resource accessibility remain critical in keeping lower the harm caused to the unhoused community.
But for Stewart and other members of City Light Ministry, the importance of treating their community members with dignity and respect remains almost as important as their other services. “Everybody is someone’s mom, dad, brother, sister and uncle cousin and so treating people as if they are your family becomes easier to see them as human means respect and advice and that was the most beautiful thing for me to know I see them and pain struggles and pain as well and we do love each other”.
While those with inadequate shelter and AC are most at risk of harm from the Texas sun, the closure of the YMCA Abilene State Park pool has further limited the already small list of options Abilene residents have for cooling off. Abilene's five splash pads remain open until mid-October, free to the public.