A Chandler nonprofit that has been serving the community for decades is in its second summer providing overnight heat relief, and demand is surging beyond its limits.
AZCEND, which serves the Chandler-Gilbert area, can sleep up to 40 people a night at its overnight heat relief shelter. Since opening for the season in June, the organization has consistently seen between 36 and 40 people per night. Over the past week, that number has jumped to 50 and above.
For Interim CEO Steve Hewitt, the surge is a reminder of how few overnight resources exist across the Valley…