The National Weather Service predicts North Texas will keep hitting 100 degrees at least through Friday and an Excessive Heat Warning is in place through Monday evening.
In Dallas, OurCalling has extended its hours to serve as a cooling station. The nonprofit near Interstate 30 and Cesar Chavez Boulevard has stayed open until 8 p.m. instead of 3 p.m.
OurCalling said 40% more people came to the outreach center last week than the week before.
"We have seen a huge increase in homeless individuals coming to OurCalling this month seeking a place to get water, a place to cool down, and really, a place to be safe," said Ali Hendricksen with OurCalling.
She said OurCalling normally serves about 250 people a day, but 350 have come in during the heatwave. Hendricksen said they have expanded their women's center to make room.
"It might feel a little tight, but truly, the more the merrier at OurCalling," she said. "We want people to come and fill our building when it is this hot outside."
In addition to more people at its campus, OurCalling has also been adding outreach. Hendricksen said trucks have gone to homeless camps to drop off water, snacks, and cooling wraps.
"In turn, we're trying to find long-term solutions for them to be off the street as well," she said.
Hendricksen said shelters across Dallas work together to find open beds and connect people with services to help them become self-sufficient. At OurCalling, she said they build relationships with people so they feel more comfortable getting on a path toward permanent housing.
"OurCalling really strives to be a safe place, a safe haven, for our homeless friends," she said. "We're constantly facilitating movies, dominoes. When it's cooler outside, we'll have games outside and barbecue, really a place where our friends want to hang out. We hear constantly they feel safe at OurCalling, they feel seen, they feel heard at OurCalling. That's really a point of pride."
She says OurCalling's greatest need now is bottled water. People can find details or make a donation online.
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