Shelter intakes increase as the temperatures get hotter

TYLER, Texas (KLTV) -The manager of Highway 80 Rescue Mission, Walter Nerop, says he’s been seeing double the number of clients coming into the rescue mission center.

There are no beds, but they do provide showers, water, food and other resources to help people who may be struggling to get back on their feet.

Jonathan Simmons has been transient for six weeks now after losing his job.

“I’m looking for assistance, like I said, for the meantime, not only to stay out the heat, but assistance to help me get back on my feet,” says Simmons.

Trevesia Chevis is the social services manager for the Salvation Army in Tyler.

“I’ve seen an increase in our clients coming back into the shelter from the extreme heat,” says Chevis.

The Salvation Army offers two cooling stations that are open 24 hours .

“At night if someone is still hot at seven o clock, 8 o clock, they could come in. They can shower; we have shower times designated for those that are not staying with us,” says Chevis.

Simmons and others like him walk from shelter to shelter throughout the day in order to get their basic needs met.

“It’s exhausting,” says Simmons.

“Thank goodness Tyler is one of those places where you can kind of run into people and people are concerned about what you are going through,” Simmons says

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