Resources available for summer heat emergencies

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The summer sun can bring dangerous temperatures if your home’s air conditioning stops working.

“We do get a lot of people that are either elderly or have health issues, that once this heat kicks in, that really exacerbates their illness and then elderly people as well are really vulnerable to the heat,” Indianapolis Neighborhood Housing Partnership Asst. Director of Business Development Becca Murphy said.

Murphy said it can often be challenging to find help.

“That’s kind of a moving target every year,” she said. “The place where you went last year, the community group you went to last year, may not have that program again this year.”

Her non-profit helps fix air conditioning units, free of charge for those under a certain income level.

They see a huge spike in demand for that service this time of year.

“It’s like the first time it really gets hot, now you need your air conditioner, you flip it and it’s not working or it runs but it doesn’t get cold, what do you do?” Murphy said.

“It also is a safety issue because sometimes you can’t always have your window open,” she said.

Contact INHP here or (317) 610-4663 to find out if you qualify.

Aside from her organization, she said another emergency resource is called Connect2Help, reachable by dialing 2-1-1.

They can connect people to a variety of services, 24-7.

The Salvation Army also welcomes anyone into its lobby during business hours to cool off and get a bottle of water.

The United Way and Community Action of Greater Indianapolis offer help for paying those summer energy bills.

The United Way can be reached at 317.923.1466.

Community Action of Greater Indianapolis can be reached here.

Bottom line is that Murphy hopes people reach out to those in the community who can help when heat emergencies arise.

We have been asked about free fan giveaways and no one we spoke with knew of a program for that this summer.