BOISE, Idaho — The Interfaith Sanctuary opened a new temporary cooling shelter location Monday at the Linen Building with help from the Idaho Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence.
The shelter is scheduled to be open between 12 p.m. and 8 p.m. from July 5 to July 9 at 1402 W. Grove Street in Boise.
ICASD leases the offered part of the building to be used as a cooling shelter, said Jodi Peterson-Stigers, executive director of Interfaith Sanctuary.
“They reached out to us when they saw what was going on with the heat,” Peterson-Stigers said. “They use this space for events. But with no events scheduled, they made it available to us.”
Interfaith opened a cooling shelter last week at Cathedral of the Rockies, but location can be tough to get to on foot.
“It was a difficult trek to get to from the shelter locations,” Peterson-Stigers said. “They needed to get a meal. They needed to be kind of next to their stuff. And that was going to be too much of a transport for them.”
The first guest to walk into the Linen Building cooling shelter laid a blanket on the floor and quietly read a book. His name is John Shelley.
“I’ve got a book in my face 24/7,” Shelley said.
In his words, he uses the cooling shelters, “every chance I get.”
He used the Cathedral location last week, but only because transportation from the shelter was provided. Interfaith says that put a strain on their staff and wasn’t sustainable.
Peterson-Stigers and Shelley agree the Linen Building is better fit.
“I'm staying at the Sanctuary, and it's only like five blocks from here. Which makes it great,” Shelley said. “I'll use this one every day, because it's so close.”
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