Teens, City Of Tempe Team To Give Heat Safety Packs To The Unhoused

TEMPE, AZ — The city of Tempe, along with some local high school students, are working together to help locals experiencing homelessness get through the brutal summer heat.

Tempe teamed up with students from McClintock High School’s Neighborhood Justice Program to create READI packs filled with supplies like water bottles, towels, pet bowls and socks to hand out to the unhoused to help keep them safe this summer.

READI stands for Resilience, Engagement, Action, Dedication and Inclusion, according to a news release from the city.

“READI packs are kits that are going to be distributed to unhoused people around the community and include different heat relief supplies that will help them stay cool throughout the summer,” said Shalae Clemens, a McClintock High School student and youth climate fellow with the Neighborhood Justice Program.

Students worked with Tempe's emergency manager and the HOPE team to find out what kinds of things those experiencing homelessness in Tempe needed most when dealing with the Valley's summer heat.

The HOPE team, which stands for Homeless Outreach Prevention Effort, is a city effort to provide street outreach, case management and connections to shelter and housing to those experiencing homelessness in Tempe.

The HOPE team plans to hand out the 600 packs to individuals experiencing homelessness during the July Point-in-Time homeless count. Tempe will also give out packs throughout the summer at the city’s heat relief stations.

Through this partnership, students in the Neighborhood Justice Program at McClintock High School share their ideas about climate justice projects to complete in Tempe and the city then provides resources to help them finish those projects.

This project was funded as part of the Cool Kids, Cool Place, Cool Futures grant the city received from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to support young people in Tempe in developing local and regional solutions to deal with extreme heat.

“My generation is going to be the generation that has to deal with a lot of the effects of climate change,” Clemens said in the news release. “As young people, the other fellows and I have a unique perspective on climate and solutions. That’s why I’m passionate and think it’s important for high school students to get involved.”

Click here to volunteer to help with the city's July point-in-time homeless count.

Click here to find local heat relief resources.