SAN ANTONIO -- The weather is hot on anyone who spends time outdoors but it's especially grueling for the homeless.

"It's pretty hard to explain unless you're out here in it," said Joe Ditripani, who has been homeless since Hurricane Katrina.

As Ditripani tries to find day labor work, he tries to stay cool in the intense heat. He can't remember the last time he hung out in air conditioning.

"My memory doesn't go that far back," Ditripani said.

Ditripani stays in the shade when he can and tries to conserve whatever water he gets.

"I washed a windshield to get this," pointing to a bottle of water.

Johnny Lopez is also trying to get back on his feet. Lopez is homeless with two young girls.

"Oh, they cry all the time," Lopez said of his girls trying to cope with the heat. "They don't know about this life right now."

Lopez and his girls stay in shelters and do the best they can to beat the heat.

The Salvation Army shelter usually has about 75 overnight guests, but lately more than 120 people have been spending the night. Half of the guests are school-age children.

"We are seeing our numbers jump up sooner than they normally would," Lucy Lashover of the Salvation Army said about the spike in visitors.

The SAM shelter is usually at capacity. It has some overnight guests but about 70 percent of the visitors stay inside during the day, staying involved with job skill programs and chores.

"It's very, very difficult for a lot of people (who) have to be out in this heat," said SAMMinistries President and Chief Executive Officer Navarra Williams. "It's miserable."