Peoria collecting water, other items for cooling centers as summer nears
May 1, 2021, 7:15 AM
(AP Photo)
(AP Photo)
PHOENIX — The city of Peoria has begun collecting donations of bottled water, sunscreen and lip balm as temperatures heat up and cooling centers prepare to open.
Donations can be dropped off at the Peoria Community Assistance Resource Center (8335 W. Jefferson Street) Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
The items will then be distributed to the city’s cooling centers and hydration stations that open on May 31.
“For many of us, dealing with the heat is simply an annual inconvenience which makes us uncomfortable,” Carin Imig, Peoria community assistance manager, said in a press release.
“However, for others, the heat is a dangerous reality quickly escalated by the effects of dehydration. The Heat Relief Program is designed to help anyone caught off-guard by the heat, no matter what the reason.”
The Heat Relief Program is a partnership through the Maricopa Association of Governments that aims to create awareness of the dangers from extreme heat, while offering places and resources for individuals to cool off and get hydrated during the summer months.
Extreme heat is the No. 1 weather-related cause of death in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A full list of Peoria’s cooling centers and hydration station locations can be found below:
Cooling Centers
Peoria Community Center (8335 W. Jefferson Street)
Monday–Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Saturday from 8 a.m.-1 p.m.
Peoria Main Library (8463 W. Monroe Street)
Monday–Thursday from 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
Friday–Saturday from noon-5 p.m.
Sunrise Mountain Library (21109 N. 98th Avenue)
Monday–Thursday from 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
Friday–Saturday from noon-5 p.m.
Rio Vista Recreation Center (8866 W. Thunderbird Road)
Monday–Friday from 5 a.m.-8 p.m.
Saturday from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Hydration Stations
Peoria City Hall (8401 W. Monroe Street)
Monday–Thursday from 7 a.m.-6 p.m.
Peoria Development and Community Services Building (9875 N. 85th Avenue)
Monday–Thursday from 7 a.m.-6 p.m.
