On Monday, the Arizona Faith Network worked together to come up with strategies to help combat the extreme heat.
Local leaders say the high temperatures are on their minds, many of them touring several cooling centers across the Valley. Sparking discussions on finding immediate and long-term solutions to keeping communities safe.
"It's draining the life out of me. It makes it hard to get up in the morning to go to work. It's tougher on the streets because you have no protection from the elements,” said Scott Trujillo.
Trujillo, like thousands in Arizona, is experiencing homelessness. He has fibromyalgia which by itself, he says, is a struggle.
"But, with these high temps? It is just hard to breathe. This is hard to breathe or take in,” said Trujillo.
Trujillo is thankful more than ever for cooling centers like the one near 43rd and Peoria avenues in Glendale.
Tabitha Gaziano and her dog Natika are too.
"A lot of difference! You know, I wait until noon to call them usually to pick me up at the park,” said Gaziano.
The cooling center is only open from noon to 8 p.m. each day, ABC15 asked if that is enough for those struggling in the heat.
"Yes, because it gives you a place to go and cool off for a couple of hours. No, because it is not all night,” added Gaziano.
Nearly a dozen lawmakers, policymakers and city leaders joined the Arizona Faith Network Monday on a tour of cooling centers around the Valley.
"It's very different for us to say, oh, we are talking about cooling centers here until you see it," said ASU’s School of Sustainability Assistant Research Professor Dr. Melissa Guardaro. “Until you see the suffering that is going on there and until you hear individual stories, you can't really understand the impact and importance of cooling centers."
The network's Executive Director says the goal is to secure money from lawmakers to pay for even more cooling and respite centers.
"This has not happened before in Arizona. We have not created a sustainable heat funding pot through this state,” said AFN Executive Director Reverend Katie Sexton-Wood.
Until then, AFN knows, people like Trujillo and Gaziano will suffer.
"It is not going to get better. It's going to get worse. We desperately need to address it now. We needed to address it years ago," said AFN President Billie Fidlin.
Local leaders welcomed the renewed push to provide even more heat relief in the community.
