Heat Respite Update for Summer 2025

New Journey and our Northeast Valley Consortium (NEVC) partners support Arizona Faith Network (AFN) heat respite sites through our summer lunch packs. AFN provides this summary for the Summer 2025 project:

"Extreme heat is a growing threat in Arizona, especially in Maricopa County. To combat this, Arizona Faith Network has teamed up with key partners to create faith-based heat respite, hydration, cooling, and heat relief centers. In the 2025 season, AFN has welcomed more than 55,000 visits to 17 heat relief centers. Strategically located in high-risk areas, these centers serve as critical lifelines, providing life-saving resources and safe refuge for those most vulnerable to extreme heat. Our success wouldn’t be possible without the incredible support of our partners. Together, we work across faith traditions, locations, and with volunteers, as well as city, county, and state entities to make these centers accessible and impactful.

Looking ahead, AFN is expanding these heat relief centers into vibrant faith-based community resilience hubs. These hubs will do more than provide heat relief—they’ll tackle the broader challenges of the climate crisis and systemic inequalities. By building local capacity and strengthening community networks, these hubs will empower vulnerable populations, fostering resilience in the face of environmental and social challenges."

Thanks to a $15,000 grant from NEVC partner Ascension Lutheran, our 2026 summer lunch packs are funded and will support the consortium in providing at least 16 lunch packs (June–September), plus water pallets and electrolyte powder, to save lives. New Journey will again schedule 5 lunch packs; please be thinking about whether you prefer Sunday-after-worship or Monday morning packing sessions.