OKC's Homeless Alliance Collecting Water And Sunscreen

For people experiencing homelessness, summer can be an extremely dangerous time of year.

While many Oklahomans are soaking up the sun voluntarily, there are thousands of people across the metro who do not have a choice, or the resources to stay healthy.

A local marketing agency is hoping to offer some relief. Water is the number one necessity right now for those living on the streets. Hundreds of people visit the Homeless Alliance daily to cool off, but supplies are low.

“Many people think that winter is the most dangerous time for people who are homeless, but in reality, summer can be just as dangerous,” Homeless Alliance spokesperson Kinsey Crocker said.

Unfortunately, there is always more need than what the Alliance has to give.

In January, Insight Creative Group hosted a coat drive for the Curbside Chronicle with great success. They are reaching out to the generous donors once again, asking to help save lives.

“I can’t even imagine being on the hot cement and having nowhere to go, let alone not have anything to drink,” ICG Content Manager Lisha Dunlap said. 

The donations are for the Curbside vendors, as well as others served by the Alliance and the City Rescue Mission. The drive is not limited to water. The organization is looking for anything that can help beat the heat, and the problems that come with it.

“Not a lot of times people think to donate bug spray or sunscreen,” Crocker says, “but it’s really important, especially if you’re out in the sun all day. You really need those items.”

Each year, EMSA finds homeless people suffering from critical cases of heat stroke. ICG hopes this year, the community can help prevent tragedy.

“You’ll feel good,” says Dunlap. “The person on the other end will feel alive, and we all benefit.”

ICG does not have an end goal for this drive. Anyone interested in donating can drop off the water and other supplies throughout the summer at 19 Northeast 9th Street in downtown Oklahoma City.

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