SAN ANTONIO – Thursday was another scorching day across San Antonio, but some local families experiencing homelessness are getting some much-needed relief from the heat.
“It’s bad enough to have to be in a situation like this. The last thing I would want is to not have an extra place for them to go,” said Shannon Mills, owner of BLCCS.
The company is a mechanical and electrical contracting and consulting firm that focuses on energy conservation and system optimization. Mills said she has worked with Haven for Hope for years and donated a new A/C system for Haven’s chapel building worth $40,000.
Nearly two dozen families have been sleeping inside the chapel despite the A/C not working at full capacity. The building has capacity for up to 50 people.
“At night, it’s just covered in places for people to sleep,” Mills said.
Haven for Hope President and CEO Kim Jefferies said the shelter usually sees more people during the summer. Haven for Hope has recently seen an overflow of people, which is part of the reason they have had to use the chapel.
“The summer is always busier at Haven for a couple of reasons. We see an uptick in families coming in. A lot of times, families are doubled up during the summer when all the kids are home,” Jefferies said. “We see more people coming in off the streets because of the heat. We do everything we can to give them comfortable spaces to be in during the day and provide water, cooling options.”
Haven for Hope currently serves more than 1,600 people, including 315 children. One of them is Daviana Berton, who is currently staying at the shelter and sleeping inside the chapel with her two daughters.
“It’s a lot of kids with just one parent. It’s definitely a different experience. This is our first time being homeless,” Berton said.
Berton said she’s grateful to have a safe space for her family, but sleeping in nearly 90-degree temperature inside at night has been difficult.
“For somebody to have a comfortable place to lay their head and know not only are they going to be safe, but they’re going to be in an environment that’s going to be conducive to their well-being. It’s so critical for us,” Jefferies said.
“I’m glad we’re able to do a tiny little part to help Haven. That means the world to me, what they do is awesome, and I’m glad that we can help just a little bit,” Mills said.
“I’m happy the air is back. Very much happy,” Berton said.