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Over 300 people experiencing homelessness rescued this summer through heat relief efforts

Phoenix Rescue Mission’s Code:Red initiative breaks record by helping protect vulnerable populations from triple-digit temperatures during Arizona’s hottest recorded summer in state history.
Queen Creek Sun Times Staff

This summer, a total of 303 men and women were rescued from the streets and were placed in housing or a suitable program thanks to a community effort led by Phoenix Rescue Mission, the Christ-centered nonprofit providing transformative resources and solutions to those in need throughout Maricopa County.

This marks the most successful Code:Red campaign with the highest number of people helped in the organization’s history on the heels of Arizona’s hottest recorded summer in state history.

During its 11th annual Code:Red Summer Heat Relief Campaign, from May 1 to Aug. 31, the mission distributed 810,685 water bottles to those in need. Hundreds of churches, businesses and community members donated cases of water and critical funding and supplies to make the effort possible. According to Maricopa County, at least 178 individuals experiencing homelessness died from heat-related causes in 2022, with the number of fatalities trending even higher in 2023. Throughout the year, Phoenix Rescue Mission works to protect Arizona’s citizens facing homelessness, hunger, addiction and trauma, but puts extra focus on homeless outreach efforts during the dangerous summertime heat.

In addition to water bottles, the Mission’s “Hope Coach” Street Outreach vehicles drove more than 70,000 miles to engage with 1,815 people experiencing homelessness and distributed 6,781 “Hope Totes,” or bags filled with essentials like sunscreen, socks, hygiene products and more.

“Helping men, women and families living on the streets survive the deadly summer heat in Arizona is always our top priority when the season comes around,” said Phoenix Rescue Mission CEO Ken Brissa. “It is a blessing to be able to help so many of our neighbors stay safe and get access to resources they need to help break their cycles of homelessness. And there is still much more work to do. We will continue to provide life-saving services to the Valley’s most vulnerable populations throughout the year.”

Several municipalities, including Phoenix and Scottsdale, created partnerships with the mission to bring relief to their neighborhoods through the campaign.

For more information about Phoenix Rescue Mission and the services it provides, visit PhoenixRescueMission.org.