Dallas Cowboys players were among the volunteers who greeted members of the public Thursday morning at a Salvation Army center near Love Field, loading vehicles with food and fans to help them beat a scorching heat wave.
Linebacker Devin Harper, among the players at the event, said it was a blessing to be able to give back to the community.
“Why not give back a little bit and help other people out?” he said.
The Salvation Army traditionally hosts weekly food pantry distributions, but Thursday’s event included the distribution of more than 200 fans alongside food items.
This summer, North Texas has seen record-high temperatures with triple digits expected to continue through most of next week. Multiple organizations across the region have distributed items to help residents beat the heat throughout the summer.
Vulnerable populations to the heat include young children, seniors, those with chronic disease and those experiencing homelessness and poverty.
“North Texans experiencing poverty are living really truly in survival mode as their already tight budgets are being stretched to the limits,” said Maj. Paul McFarland, area commander of the Salvation Army of North Texas.
The Cowboys, Reliant Energy and Westlake Ace Hardware partnered with the Salvation Army to distribute items, and the hardware store donated nearly 500 fans to the Salvation Army.
Across town at Lake Highlands High School, the Dallas Police Department hosted a senior wellness and safety event Thursday where Dr. Kenneth Cooper, founder of the Cooper Institute, spoke about ways seniors can live longer and healthier lives.
The department gave away bags of fruit, gas cards and 300 personal care bags. They also handed out 15 air-conditioning units and 20 fans through raffles at the event, police Sgt. Sammie Robinson said.
The city of Dallas and the Salvation Army also operate cooling centers to help people get out of the heat. Cooling stations allow the city’s homeless residents a place where they can escape the heat as high temperatures continue.
The Salvation Army’s cooling stations are open to the public and allow people to spend a few hours in an air-conditioned environment, McFarland said.
“If people really feel like they’re at risk for a stroke, they can come to any of our sites and we’ll just take them in and do our best to figure out what needs to happen,” said Jay Dunn, managing director for the Salvation Army of North Texas.
Leanne Schneider, community relations director with Reliant Energy, said it’s important for people to remain safe during the summer heat. Earlier this summer, the company provided 220 air-conditioning units to the two cooling centers the city of Dallas opened.
“It’s just been a really really hot summer, so really wanted to make sure they had enough supplies to operate these cooling stations and provide what was needed for the community,” Schneider said.
State Sen. Nathan Johnson, D-Dallas, was at the Salvation Army’s event Thursday and said communication with the community about ways to keep cool has been great. Many people find themselves in difficult situations during the heat, and such events allow them to get through those situations — and also show them that somebody cares, he said.
“People are extremely grateful,” he said. “You can see it on their faces.”
