Helping the Homeless Beat the Heat

With a major heat wave heading our way, the members of the Arlington Street People Assistance Network (A-SPAN) are faced with a challenge: securing the safety of the local homeless community. Arlington has an estimated 500 people living without a permanent home with 50 to 100 of those people living within the Ballston area. 

"The heat can be just as deadly as the cold," said Jan Sacharko, A-SPAN's Director of Development. Sacharko noted that the main advocacy point of the network is that Arlington desperately needs a year-round shelter. During the summertime, shelters are not open on the weekends. Homeless people struggle to find shelter from the 90 degree plus heat. Those in the Ballston-Virginia Square area are forced to find refuge in the air-conditioned mall and library.

A-SPAN visits the locations frequented by the homeless and distributes summer necessities like water, weather-appropriate clothing and hygiene supplies. If you are interested in donating, A-SPAN makes it easy. Items that are purchased from the A-SPAN's Target Registry are shipped directly to the office. Other donations that can be dropped off at the Opportunity Place include new or gently used items from your household, money, or cases of water bottles. "Cases of water are always helpful in this heat. We can never have too many," said Sacharko. Thanks to volunteers getting the word out on Twitter, A-SPAN was thrilled to collect 20 cases last Tuesday. 

If you want to choose a more active approach, A-SPAN is looking for volunteers to work at the Opportunity Place and assist clients. "We also have an Arlington Homeless Soccer League. Volunteers can become assistant coaches or just come out and kick the ball around. We meet every Thursday behind the Central Library," said Sacharko. Get active with the A-SPAN and help the homeless in the fight against heat. Visit their website to find out more information: http://www.a-span.org/index.html