PHOENIX, Ariz. (May 31, 2019) – In 2017, 35 percent of 132 recorded heat-related deaths were individuals experiencing homelessness. To help combat this challenge, St. Joseph the Worker (SJW) and Sundt Construction, Inc. teamed up to provide life-saving resources for homeless individuals on the Human Services Campus (HSC) in Downtown Phoenix. 
On May 17th, Sundt employee-owners loaded pallets of water onto a semi-truck, donated by Sunstate Equipment, at the company’s headquarters in Tempe then delivered over half a million water bottles to SJW, breaking their previous record of 296,252 water bottles.
“It was a thrill to be able to break our record and donate over a half million water bottles on our 10th anniversary of Thirst Aid,” said Lisa White, Thirst Aid organizer and Sundt employee-owner. “We are so thankful to our employee-owners, vendors, suppliers and subcontractors who donated to make this year successful. It’s deeply satisfying we can help St. Joseph the Worker in providing water to those less fortunate in Phoenix.” To further combat the heat related dangers challenging the local homeless population, the Human Services Campus, home to 20 nonprofit organizations including SJW, has launched a summer Weather Relief Drive to collect more cases of bottled water and other critical heat relief items, including dog shoes.
“Experiencing the Arizona summer heat can be an uncomfortable challenge to those of us who are fortunate enough to have a roof over our heads – experiencing that same heat as a homeless individual can be deadly,” said Brent Downs, Executive Director of St. Joseph the Worker. “We encourage anyone interested in following in Sundt’s footsteps to contribute to the life-saving Weather Relief Drive taking place all summer long at the Human Services Campus.”
As the hot summer months approach, items being collected for the HSC Weather Relief Drive include:
- Summer Kits (sunscreen, hats, visors, sunglasses, Chapstick, aloe burn gel, reusable water bottles)
- White flat hotel-grade sheets (twin size preferred)
- Non-perishable snacks like granola bars, trail mix or oatmeal
To learn more about how you can help, visit www.hsc-az.org.
About St. Joseph the Worker
St. Joseph the Worker (SJW) is a privately funded non-profit whose mission is to assist homeless, low-income and other disadvantaged individuals in becoming self-sufficient through quality employment. St. Joseph the Worker helps individuals return to the workforce and become self-sufficient, productive members of society.
About Sundt Construction, Inc.
Sundt Construction, Inc. is one of the country’s largest and most respected general contractors. The 129-year-old firm specializes in transportation, industrial, building and concrete work and is owned entirely by its 2,000 employees. Sundt is distinguished by its diverse capabilities and experience, unique employee-ownership culture and depth of self-perform expertise in eight major trades. Sundt has 11 offices throughout Arizona, California, Texas and Utah and is currently ranked the country’s 54th largest construction company by ENR, the industry’s principal trade magazine. The company’s charitable arm, the Sundt Foundation, has awarded more than $9.6 million in donations.
About the Human Services Campus
Founded in 2005, the Human Services Campus is a collaborative force of partner organizations united on one campus to end homelessness. Located just west of downtown Phoenix, 20 independent agencies on the Campus see nearly 1,000 individuals every day, offering a holistic range of client services including: reunification with family and friends; mental, physical and dental health; shelter; employment; meals; legal services and housing. Having all of these resources in one location with intra-agency communications makes it more feasible to provide a customized engagement for each client to help end their homelessness. For more information, visit www.hsc-az.org.
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