TARRANT COUNTY (1080 KRLD)- When the weather gets this hot, Meals On Wheels volunteers deliver more than just food.
"One of the things they do is provide a daily safety check," says Keith Harrison, spokesperson for Meals On Wheels of Tarrant County. "They're trained to look out for signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke and report them back to us so we can immediately get our clients the help they need."
Harrison says many Meals on Wheels clients are elderly, which makes them especially susceptible to heat-related illnesses. Oftentimes they don't realize how hot they actually are, and Harrison says many of them will hold off running their AC to save money. Some don't even have AC, but Meals On Wheels is working to fix that.
"We will go out to their home ... and we will install a window unit air conditioner completely free of charge," Harrison says. "All in an effort to keep them safe and healthy."
Typically, Harrison says heat-related safety reports usually don’t start flooding in until July, but not this year. It’s been so hot that they're coming in early. Harrison is encouraging everyone to check in on their elderly neighbors and loved ones, especially if they live alone and aren't enrolled in a program like Meals On Wheels.
"Every year, quite a number of clients' lives are saved because one of our volunteers is observant enough to notice a change in their condition."
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