‘Extreme heat magnifies poverty:’ Catholic Charities collecting water, other items to help homeless

Although triple‑digit temperatures in the Las Vegas Valley are bearable for most residents with air conditioning, they create a serious hazard for people living on the streets, said Sara Ramirez, president and CEO of Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada. “Extreme vigor does not make poverty, but it decidedly magnifies it,” she told the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Thursday, when the temperature in the valley reached 111 degrees for the first time in 2026. The nonprofit has relaunched its yearly drive to gather supplies that can aid its unsheltered clients and those teetering on the edge of homelessness through the summer. Its target is 20,000 bottles of water and electrolyte packages, sunscreen, nonperishable food, lip balm, hats, and shoes—items vital for preventing asphalt burns, Ramirez noted. Located at 1501 Las Vegas Blvd. North, the organization also welcomes monetary contributions for the summer campaign at catholiccharities.com. “Every summer in Southern Nevada, we prepare for the heat,” she said, “but at Catholic Charities, we prepare for what the heat does to people.” Clark County recorded at least 284 heat‑related deaths in 2025 and 513 the previous year, according to the Southern Nevada Health District. Homelessness and high property values are considered risk factors in such fatalities. When summer temperatures rise to unsafe levels, the region activates cooling stations. These municipal facilities remain open throughout the valley after the National Weather Service issued an extreme heat advisory this week. Catholic Charities has been opening its building in the afternoons to keep individuals indoors during the hottest part of the day, Ramirez said. At the same time, the valley continues to see a rise in its unsheltered population, according to the past two Southern Nevada Homelessness Continuum of Care counts. About 5,000 of the 8,859 individuals counted in January were living outside, in vehicles, or in other unsheltered settings, census data released this week shows. That figure represents roughly a 20 percent increase over the unsheltered total recorded in 2024. “Anyone can pick up water at the shelter, Ramirez said, no questions asked.” Catholic Charities has met its water collection goals each year and anticipates doing so again this summer, she added. “This community truly knows how to take care of each other.”