‘It is heartbreaking:’ Unhoused population dealing hot weather in the Okanagan | 24CA News
As temperatures within the Okanagan climb previous the 30-degree mark, a warmth warning for the Interior was issued, and the gospel mission is working to get water and meals to individuals each exterior and within the shelter.
“Our people who are living unhoused are very sick and the heat doesn’t help. We’re seeing infections, bug bites, sunburns and all of these things are just making people living outside, miserable,” stated Carmen Rempel, Kelowna’s Gospel Mission govt director.
“Our outreach team goes out onto the streets seven days a week and in this last week alone we’re feeding between 100 and 190 people every day.”
According to the Ambulance-Paramedics Union of BC, these experiencing homelessness are a few of the most weak to the warmth.
“They’re more susceptible to the heat-related injuries like heat cramps, heat exposures and some of those can be life-threatening as you know,” stated Troy Clifford of the Ambulance-Paramedics Union.
Rempel says the unhoused inhabitants is doing its finest to courageous the warmth.
“People who are living unhoused are an incredibly resilient group of people but it is heartbreaking. We try to bring that little bit of hope,” stated Rempel.
The gospel mission is now seeing an unprecedented variety of individuals searching for its providers, particularly in the summertime months.
“It’s discouraging. Our sector is extraordinary — we don’t work alone, we work with many partners and we’re providing more services and doing a better job at providing those services than ever before and we’re not winning,” stated Rempel.
During a warmth warning, Interior Health advises residents to drink loads of water, pay attention to indicators of overheating together with dizziness or feeling unwell, and put on sunscreen.
The gospel mission is urging residents to donate cool clothes like tank tops, underwear, and hats.
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