PHOENIX, Ariz. (April 10, 2020): While the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we live, work, shop and socialize, one fact remains constant: the oppressive heat of summer and its significant impact on individuals experiencing homelessness is coming.

In preparation for summer’s arrival and in support of its pandemic response, the Human Services Campus (HSC) is launching a series of monthly ThirstAid water drives on the third Saturday of each month beginning April 18.

The ThirstAid water drive, from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, April 18, will operate under a concept similar to the recent Donation Drive By with individuals willing to donate needing only to drive to the Harrison Street Gate at 1300 W. Harrison in Phoenix and pop the trunk or the back gate to the vehicle. HSC staff and volunteers will do the rest.

“Our campus partner St. Joseph the Worker started ThirstAid a number of years ago and felt it was an effort from which the entire Human Services Campus could benefit,” said HSC, Inc. Development Director Steve Davis. “We estimate our need at 100,000 bottles of water a month for the six months from May through October.”

HSC, a 501c3 nonprofit agency, owns and operates a 13-acre campus at 12th Avenue and Madison that is home to 16 nonprofit organizations providing services and resources to people experiencing homelessness.

“Every day for a person experiencing homelessness is difficult. Summer heat makes it exponentially worse,” said HSC Executive Director Amy Schwabenlender. “Given the distancing guidelines for mitigating the spread of COVID-19, we have repurposed spaces across the property to serve as many individuals as possible.”

HSC and its partner agencies are encouraging individuals, especially the elderly and more vulnerable to COVID-19, to shelter in place by staying on the Campus.

“Helping them to meet their most basic needs is critical to their survival,” Schwabenlender said.

In addition to cases of bottled water, which also can be scheduled for drop-off by calling (602) 282-0849 or by emailing volunteer@keystochangeaz.org, other items being collected for the summer include:

• Summer Kits (sunscreen, hats, visors, sunglasses, Chapstick, aloe burn gel, reusable water bottles)
• COVID-19 items: trash bags, Clorox or similar cleaning wipes, exam gloves, paper or cloth face cloths

As part of the effort, Sundt Construction, Inc., in collaboration with St. Joseph the Worker, is conducting a water drive with a goal to deliver up to 500,000 bottles of water to the campus on Thursday, May 7.

For more information, visit www.keystochangeaz.org.