Cooling Shelter in TD Gets an Assist from MRC; complete list of places to cool off

Hilario Moreno at the St. Vincent De Paul Day Shelter at 315 W. Third St. The Dalles. The Day shelter will serve as a cooling center for locals for the next several days as temperatures climb into the triple digits. Wasco County Medical Reserve Corps will be assisting in running the temporary cooling station.

From North Central Public Health District:

About 10 Wasco County Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) volunteers who previously helped at vaccine clinics will now, for the first time, help at Mid-Columbia Community Action Council’s (MCCAC) cooling center. 

Their main task will be assisting MCCAC staff in cooling center set-up and cleanup, signing guests in and explaining the house rules, and offering beverages and food. 

The cooling center is located at the St. Vincent de Paul Day Shelter at 315 W. 3rd and will be open next Monday through Friday, July 25-29, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The volunteers will work morning shifts, from 11 a.m. to 3  p.m., and afternoon shifts from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. 

Click here for a complete list of cooling shelters in the Gorge.

“We are so appreciative of the MRC volunteers, who have been integral in our covid response, and are now stepping up once again to help our vulnerable community members during these extreme temperature conditions,” said Tanya Wray, MRC volunteer coordinator for North Central Public Health District. 

Temperatures are expected to be over 100 each day next week. 

The LINK will provide service to The Dalles Cooling Center until 5:30 p.m. daily. Those interested may call  LINK at 541-296-7595 to schedule a door-to-door ride to the cooling center or they can use the LINK’s fixed route service (blue route) in The Dalles to get to the Cooling Center. Transportation fees are waived for those seeking to access the Cooling Center. 

This is the first year NCPHD, which houses the MRC, has partnered with MCCAC for this project. The day shelter will also open in the event of extremely unhealthy air quality conditions due to wildfire.

You do not need to have a medical license or background to join the MRC. If you are interested please visit the  NCPHD website, at https://www.ncphd.org/medical-reserve-corps or you can email Tanya Wray, at  tanyaw@ncphd.org, or call her, at 541-506-2631. 

(For more information, contact North Central Public Health District at (541) 506-2600, visit us on the web at  www.ncphd.org or find us on Facebook.)