PHOENIX — The heat is here, and a downtown Phoenix shelter says it could use some help keeping the homeless hydrated and cool in the summer months.

Central Arizona Shelter Services spokeswoman Lindsey Roberts said that more than 1,500 people in Phoenix died because of excessive heat from 2000 to 2012.

She said that this is a busy time of year for the shelter.

“Particularly in the summer, we see more folk in need of medical care, bottled water, and a place to retreat from the outside elements,” Roberts said.

George Washington a homeless man, stays at the shelter.

He said that there is a definite need to provide water to the homeless in downtown Phoenix.

“Between the Capitol and downtown, for at least a 12-block radius, there are no drinking fountains,” Washington said. “This (bottled water from the shelter) is crucial for saving lives.”

Roberts said that the shelter teams with Phoenix police and other services to distribute water to the homeless. “On average, we go through about 1,000 bottles a day,” she said.

They need help.

“In kind donations of bottled water are great,” Roberts said. “But also, what we really do need are monetary donations to offset the costs of increased utility bills and medical needs.”

To find out how to help, go to www.cassaz.org.