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One of the big inconveniences in the middle of a
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heat wave for those of us of privilege is that
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we get stuck in the air conditioning. Right, imagine if
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you are one of those people that do not have
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that ability. We've talked about all angles when it comes
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to this emergency going on a successive heat warning, and
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let's talk about those who are unhoused. Chris Puluski is
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the CEO of Meltrodder Ministries. I saw your video yesterday
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and you look hot doing it talking about those emergency
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services that are available.
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It's just hot out there. So, yes, it was hot
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the other day on the street, but nothing compared to
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the folks who are facing homelessness that actually stay on
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the street the majority of the time are unhoused. And yeah,
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so we're privileged at this time of year to help
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folks that are going through a difficult time and especially
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keep cool and access services when it's really hot outside.
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And Chris, it bears pointing out that the shelter is full. Right.
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You would think during a Code blue, that's when it's
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super cold and you're out there trying to rescue people
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from under bridges and stuff. This is a Code red
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when it's hot and you're still full.
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Yeah, it's like the old saying the inn and is full.
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I'm truly we have been full throughout the year. I
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was hoping that during the springtime that we would see
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a dip. We have been continued to be full on
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a nightly basis. I think there's a couple of reasons.
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I mean, there are people who are facing homelessness. We
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haven't seen that rate decline. Also, people are just having
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a difficult time I think, with life on many issues
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right now. And also it is hot outside, so I
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think that we're seeing people wanting to seek coolness. It
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could be for their families, it could be for individuals.
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So we provide services. We provide the shelter, which you noted.
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We also have a cooling center, so I want to
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encourage folks in and around ground rapids. If it's hot,
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you can come to two two five Commerce and access
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our cooling center. And it's a day center where you
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can access water, basic medical care. We have nurses on
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duty if you need help. We have food there. And
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then in addition to that, we have these units that
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are going around town, so they are trailers. We have
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shower units, We also have our vans going out to
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handing out water, cooling towels, sunscreen, basic equipment to keep
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people cool during this time.
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Yeah, I think sometimes we get stuck in a stereotype
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in our heads and we think about a picture in
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our head about somebody who's unhoused and think sometimes not
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so understanding things about them. But talk to us a
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little bit about the families who are some of them
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working in the shelter with a waiting list. So there
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are families trying to get services right now, and that's
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why your donation is more important than ever.
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Absolutely so. At Meltrotter, we've got five hundred and fifty beds.
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We have about a third of those for family. We
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work with Family Promise on the case management. But we're
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providing food, we're providing in room, we're providing security, we're
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providing basic services for these individuals right now. For the
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families that are in the shelter. There was a waiting
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list last week it was twenty four. I've heard that
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number has gone up. Last year we hit a high
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number during the summer. It was around sixty four families
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waiting to get into emergency shelter. So those people are
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people living in their cars, maybe CouchSurfing, but primarily in
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their vehicles, waiting to get into some kind of emergency shelter.
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Meltrotter dot org. You can walk alongside the men and
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women that serve this community and you can help.
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Yeah. So if I could ask one thing, it would
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be get involved. I mean I think people, and I
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say this a lot people. I think people get paralyzed
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when they don't know what they can do to help
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people facing homelessness. So we are a Christian organization. I
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always ask the first thing, can you pray for us?
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Please pray for our staff, Pray for people facing homelessness,
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Pray for the situation. So please pray. Volunteer. We have
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so many volunteer opportunities at meltrotter dot org. You can
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volunteer in our kitchen and our cooling center, and I
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mean we have so many opportunities, and our outreach team,
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we have volunteer opportunities, so please get involved where you
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can use your hands and feet. And then donations. Our
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costs have gone up during this period of time. We
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have more units going out, We're distributing more goods, So
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please pray, volunteer, donate, get involved because I think this
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is something so tangible, it's in the middle of our
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community and people can do something about it.
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And little things I saw in the video new underwear
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you need donated as well.
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It's it's a it's kind of a constant, and especially
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during the middle of winter and the middle of summer.
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So I was asking, you know, what's the biggest need
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and I was thinking bottled water or sunscreen, and uh,
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I was actually told underwear. So we we need underwear.
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People go through it during the summer, especially when you're
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facing homelessness. You don't think about that you don't have
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access to maybe a washing machine that clean underwear are
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one of the things on the top of the list.
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So we need bottled water, we need sunscreen, but especially
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underwear and socks.
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Meltrotter dot Orgwood Radio News time is seven forty three.
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Chris Poleski, uh, the CEO Meltrotter Ministries, Thank you for
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coming in.
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Thank you