SE Valley Times

Demand for bottled water is high at Mesa’s respite and cooling centers, prompting organizations to ask the public to donate to the City’s Hydration Donation Campaign. This annual effort distributes donated bottles of water directly to those in need during the extreme summer heat.

Resurrection Street Ministry (RSM), located at 1135 E. Main St., serves as one of the donation drop-off locations. The ministry sees up to 140 people daily and operates a Day Respite Center through September, six days a week. They distribute approximately 500 bottles of water each day.

“We are grateful to people who stop by to donate water and also to supermarkets like Costco that donate broken cases of water to us and United Food Bank. It is definitely making a huge difference this summer,” said Bill Berry, RSM Volunteer Executive Director.

Paz de Cristo, located at 424 W. Broadway Road, provides daily meals and other services for people experiencing homelessness. This summer, they have increased their distribution of water. A navigator offers ice-cold bottles of water to visitors before opening hours and sends dinner guests away with as much water as they can carry.

“The community has been great this year, as well as United Food Bank, with water donations. There is no shortage of water at Paz thanks to our partners and donors,” said John Farley, Paz de Cristo Director of Food Services.

The Salvation Army Mesa Citadel Corps, located at 241 E. 6th St., functions as a cooling center offering both water and air conditioning.

“We have given out more than 3,500 bottles of water since May 1 at our center in Mesa and we are very grateful for the community’s support,” said Major Michael Lutcher. “The Salvation Army considers extreme heat to be Arizona’s natural disaster, so we deem it an emergency disaster response.”

The City of Mesa, United Food Bank, and Mesa Chamber of Commerce lead the annual Mesa Hydration Donation Campaign alongside partnering agencies. They aim to collect 700,000 bottles of water from now through Sept. 27. Residents can donate bottled water at over 20 locations throughout the city or make cash donations via United Food Bank.