Heat Sends Some to Salvation Army for Breath of Cool Air

The sudden heat wave in the Ohio Valley has hit some segments of the population particularly hard.

Officials at the Wheeling Salvation Army say their overnight facility is nearly filled.

They say 32 of their 35 beds are occupied, and they have cots in the first floor halls in case they end up with more guests than beds.

But it's not just the homeless they're seeing.

They say people with homes or apartments are coming in for just a brief respite in the air conditioning, because they can't afford to turn theirs on.

"I mean they're struggling now with food prices and gas prices, let alone a big high electric bill, so they're holding off as long as they can," says Janine Pietras, social worker at the Wheeling Salvation Army. "And with the breathing issues people have, like asthma, they can't breathe properly in this hot humid air. So they come in here, we give them a drink of water, soda, whatever they need, they chill out for about an hour, an hour and a half, then they go back home."

Pietras says many of these people are on fixed incomes.

She says one woman said she wouldn't dare turn on her air conditioner yet because she's still paying off her winter heating bill.

She says they are making choices, not between necessities and luxuries, but between necessities and other necessities.

"It's between $4.00 for a gallon of milk and $4.00 for a gallon of gas, let alone money for air conditioning," Pietras said. "Do you want to eat, or do you want to be comfortable and able to breathe? Those are the kinds of decisions people are facing."