Dallas

Denton Homeless Shelter Expands in Dangerous Heat Wave

The shelter will provide air conditioned comfort and a safe place for Denton's homeless.

The record heat can be brutal for any of us and with no place to call home, it can be deadly. A Denton homeless shelter has expanded its hours to keep people safe.

“Overwhelming, unbearable, just too much."

That’s how Janet Ellenbaas describes the heat. She's been homeless since March. She’s not alone.

“Such a good puppy,” she said, while holding her dog, Schrek. “Everybody loves him."

Schrek, and her owner, have found respite at Monsignor King Outreach Center in Denton. The shelter there has expanded hours. Usually the place is open three nights a week. Executive director Betty Kay says clients are already feeling the effects of dangerous heat.

“We've had a lot of illness, which I think is being out in the extreme heat,” said Kay.

While the heat wave lasts, the shelter will remain open, providing air conditioned comfort and a safe place for Denton's homeless. Kay says the shelter could use more volunteers to cover the expanded hours, and is always in need of clothing and toiletries for homeless clients.

“It’s cool. I like it in here,” said Belinda McBee, who came here from Dallas. “They treat us like we're human beings."

“With temperatures pushing well above 100, she knows the dangers.

“Walking in the heat, really? It's like walking over coals,” she said. “It's hot out there."

And it will continue.

“I’m so grateful,” said Ellenbaas on the shelter’s expanded hours. “Frankly, I don’t think my dog would survive."

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