Heat Relief for Homeless

The White Flag Network has announced its plan to serve homeless persons who are medically at-risk due to significant respiratory or cardiac disease and who need shelter from the extreme heat this summer.

Persons who are medically at-risk will be evaluated at Horizon Health Center, an office of Wake Health Services, Inc., and then given a card indicating their participation in the MARS (Medically At-Risk in the Summer) Program.

Homeless men who have the card may go to the South Wilmington Street Center any day between June 1 and September 15, 2003, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. to get out of the heat. Women without children who have a MARS card may go to the Helen Wright Center for Women after 4 p.m. every day. Women and children, with or without a card, may go to the Women's Center of Wake County between 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Women and children may go to the Raleigh Rescue Mission when the Women's Center is closed on weekends or holidays between 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. if they have a MARS card.

On days when the weather may be hazardous to all persons, regardless of their medical condition, additional plans have been made. When the heat index is greater than 100 degrees between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., the South Wilmington Street Center will suspend its normal daytime programming so that all homeless men may get shelter from the heat. All homeless women and children may go to the Women's Center regardless of the heat index between the hours of 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

'WHITE FLAG' SITE INFORMATION: