Sizzling temperatures have left the unhoused in the South Bay with few options. Volunteers spent Saturday visiting homeless encampments to help out.
Volunteers with the Unhoused Response Group or “URGE” drove right up to his campsite in San Jose and offered him ice cold water. Off the Capitol Expressway, the team also handed out otter pops, powder with electrolytes and even small privacy tents.
For Leo Angulo, who has severe back pain that limits his ability to walk. He said the special delivery made all the difference.
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Shaun Cartwright with URGE said it’s too often the unhoused have chronic health problems that get worse during a heat wave.
While the city of San Jose has opened several cooling centers including this one at Emma Prusch Park, Cartwright said they have restrictions which make it challenging for the unhoused to use.
“They can’t take all of their belongings. They can’t take all of their pets. They can’t take their shopping carts,” she said. “What we truly need is a true cooling centers for the unhoused people that allow them to bring what they need to bring with them. So, they can bring down their body temperatures and so they have a place to lay down.”
The URGE team also handed out bottled water to the unhoused in Alviso and downtown San Jose Saturday.
