PORTLAND, Ore. ( KOIN ) — Portland’s most vulnerable community members during the heatwave include the homeless since health officials say those who are on the street all day are at risk of heat-related illness.
Luckily, charity organizations in the Rose City are already working to keep those surviving without shelter stay cool and safe. At PDX Saints Love, food, water, supplies and a cool space to duck out from the sun are offered to those most in need.
Waterfront Blues Fest kicks off first day with music, food and fireworks
“I come here to get a shower and if they have any food,” said John Fields.
Fields said it’s thanks to places like this that lives are saved during the dangerously hot temperatures.
“It’s very important. We had, you must stay hydrated,” he said. “You could, you could die.”
While the Fourth of July is a day of celebration for many it also marks the beginning of the National Weather Service’s excessive heat warning in the Portland area, which was recently extended. The temperatures are forecasted to reach triple digits for multiple days over the weekend and continue through Monday .