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Grateful. Humble. Inspired.
Reflections from the front lines during a super unseasonably warm Phoenix 'winter,' a reprieve in San Diego, feeling grateful for teamwork and continuous learning.
Phoenix had record breaking high temperature days in February. Phoenix Winter has never felt awful to this Wisconsin-born human who had to wait for the school bus in snowbanks and negative- degree-wind-chill weather. In second grade I learned what frost bite meant to hands that forgot their mittens at home. In comparison, the Phoenix winters with lows occasionally in the 30s felt mild. Now those low temperatures seem to be forgotten with "winters" in Phoenix feeling balmy. Ninety-degree weather this early in the year concerns me that Summer will become a nine- or ten-month season.
Fortunately for me on Sunday I drove to San Diego for the National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH) Leadership Summit. I watched the temperature climb to 98 in the trek across Arizona toward California. I expected it might hit 100 and just in time the elevation in the mountains started to bring the temperatures down. Today the high in the 60s felt chilly with a wind off the bay.
This is the only job in my career that has put the focus of weather squarely in my day-to-day. We plan for cold weather relief, and we plan for hot weather relief. The launch of Thirst Aid, the annual campaign for water and heat relief items launches in April. Climate impacts the lives of those who are unhoused in ways those of us with homes never have to consider.
Over the last 48 hours in my hotel room, I've had the luxury of adjusting the thermostat to cool the room down and tonight warm it up. People living outdoors have no such luxury...read more here...
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