Community members help Macon’s homeless population survive a sweltering summer

It was hot last week. It was hot this week. And, you guessed it, it’ll be hot next week, too.

Yes, it’s that time of year. July is historically the hottest month of the year in Macon. But this summer’s temperatures are expected to soar even higher than normal for Middle Georgia, according to the National Weather Service.

While most people can retreat indoors, those who don’t have homes can’t. So, local advocates have swung into action to help Macon’s homeless population survive a brutal summer.

At Loaves & Fishes Ministry’s outdoor pavilion, at 651 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, anyone can stop in for shade, food, water and rest. 

To those who come by, Debra Singleton — a Loaves & Fishes board member, volunteer and spiritual adviser — stresses the need to stay hydrated. 

Three decades of data tracking from the National Weather Service shows that extreme heat kills more Americans on average per year than all other major weather events. Dangers include dehydration, heatstroke and heat exhaustion. 

“What is harder to measure is the additional stress that the heat puts on our bodies and mental health,” said Katherine McLeod, chief executive officer of First Choice Primary, which focuses on medically underserved people in Middle Georgia. “The financial cost — increased electrical bills for A/C — is an indirect stressor for many of our patients.”

Singleton sees that stress. She said people can be testy when they first wander into Loaves & Fishes. To help, she leads those who are homeless to a cool shower and offers them food. Being clean and having proper hygiene plays a big role in someone’s mental health, she said.

The nonprofit has board games set up in the pavilion, which can take guests’ minds off the heat. 

Singleton said she wants those who visit the pavilion to know that someone cares about them.

“It’s always about looking at that person and making them feel, ‘She really sees me,’ because sometimes people become faceless,” Singleton said. “Nobody seems to care.”

The Salvation Army, at 1955 Broadway, and the Daybreak Resource Center, at 174 Walnut Street, are also welcoming people in from the heat at their air-conditioned facilities.

The Salvation Army operates a cooling center when the heat index and/or the temperatures reach 100 degrees, and volunteers hand out water to everyone who comes there. 

“We definitely don’t want anyone, any individual, to die from heat exhaustion or heatstroke,” said Salvation Army Social Service Director Latresa White. “We here at the Salvation Army open our doors to our neighbors,” which includes homeless individuals, as well as people who have homes but no air conditioning.

The Salvation Army’s outreach also extends to homeless encampment areas. Volunteers pass out food, water and electrolyte mixes.

At least 25 people nationwide have died in the current heat wave, according to media reports.

Atrium Health Navicent Nurse Practitioner Justin Malcom stressed that heat-related illnesses are preventable. 

You have to be “heat aware and heat smart,” he said, “which includes staying hydrated, drinking lots of water often, even if you’re not thirsty.”

If you find yourself outside, he recommends incorporating electrolytes in your fluid intake and stopping for frequent breaks in the shade. If possible, plan activities early in the morning or later in the evening when it isn’t as hot. 

Homeless people should take note of the local organizations that provide water, he said.

It’s important for everyone to be aware of the signs of heatstroke and heat exhaustion. According to Ready, a national public service campaign from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, signs of a heatstroke are: 

• Body temperature above 103 degrees
• Rapid and strong pulse
• Skin that is red, dry and hot without sweat 
• Dizziness, confusion or unconsciousness

If you suspect someone is having a heatstroke, call 911 or go to the hospital immediately. If possible, move the person to a shaded area, remove outer clothing, apply an icepack to the head, neck, armpits and groin and elevate the person’s feet.

The signs of heat exhaustion, an early warning that a more serious illness might be developing, include:

• Paleness
• Heavy sweating
• Muscle cramps
• Tiredness and weakness
• Fast or weak pulse
• Dizziness, fainting, headache, nausea and vomiting

How you can help

Volunteer at Daybreak. The director there, Sister Deborah Mallott, said the facility is getting short on food and is looking for water, hydration packets, individually wrapped snacks, beef jerky, lemonade mix, canned and fresh fruit, jelly, instant oatmeal and grits, cold cereal, pudding, jello and paper drinking cups. They are also looking for daytime cold medicine, antacid tablets, disinfectant spray and air freshener, as well as new women’s underwear and new men’s T-shirts in all sizes.

The Salvation Army is accepting water, snacks, hygiene products for the showers they offer, magazines and board games. Loaves & Fishes is looking for the same including peanut butter, jelly, crackers, soup as well as clothing and fresh lemons or limes for the water they hand out.  

Donations can be dropped off during the week to Daybreak and Loaves & Fishes before 3 p.m. and The Salvation Army before 5 p.m.