Beating the heat for those on the street, Jewish volunteers assist interfaith event
Shannon Levitt - Jewish News AZ - June 25, 2024
On a hot Sunday afternoon in Central Phoenix, the Center for Jewish Philanthropy of Greater Phoenix’s (CJP) Shalom Phoenix Volunteer Corps (SPVC) joined forces with the Arizona Faith Network (AFN), the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Phoenix (JCRC) and Arizona Jews for Justice (AJJ) to bring a bit of heat relief to those with few reliable means of escaping it.
The gathering of more than 100 volunteers, who donated bottled water, sunscreen, lotion, chapstick, wet wipes, first aid kits and granola bars and packed them into portable bags along with information about cooling centers and free transportation, took place at First Congregational United Church of Christ (First Church UCC) on Sunday, June 23, under the direction of AFN, an interfaith organization that promotes peace through interreligious education and dialogue, and uses collaborative social action to heal the ills of the world. Right now, one of the gravest ills in this town is living on the street, given that the first 20 days of the month have made this the hottest recorded June in the Valley.
“People are dying,” AFN Executive Director Rev. Katie Sexton told Jewish News. “The least we can do is open up our communities of faith to let people in, so they don’t die on the street.”