Impact stats for 100 Days of Summer
St. Vincent de Paul’s 100 Days of Summer campaign, running from Memorial Day through Labor Day, focused community support on three critical needs: water, food, and shelter/housing. Each month—June, July, and August—highlighted a different high-need item to combat the effects of extreme heat, summer food insecurity, and exposure to the elements.
From May 27 through Sept. 2, SVdP achieved the following with community support:
442,752 bottles of water dispersed
29 water drives that collected 126,480 bottles of water
837,666 meals served
950,964 pounds of food distributed
17 food drives that collected 4,462 pounds of food
31,889 shelter nights provided
$1,154,217 in rent and utility assistance
238 of people rehoused
3,681 volunteers served their community
60,401 volunteer hours completed
"We are deeply grateful to our community for making our 100 Days of Summer campaign a success," said Shannon Clancy, SVdP’s Rob & Melani Walton Endowed CEO. "Thanks to your generosity, we were able to provide life-saving heat relief and critical assistance to individuals and families facing extreme heat and the threat of eviction. Together, we showed that when we come together with compassion, we can truly make a difference in the lives of those most in need."
This summer, SVdP continued providing 7,000 meals daily to meet the growing needs in the community. The nonprofit also opened two new transitional housing shelters on its main campus, expanding its campus bed count to 231 beds and welcoming new residents from vulnerable communities. In addition to the wraparound services provided, all residents receive three hot meals a day through SVdP’s on-site dining room and kitchen. The number of meals served is also tied to SVdP’s commitment to supporting eight community shelter projects, including its own four shelters, ensuring that food security is a priority for those in need.
SVdP also expanded its annual heat relief services to include a sixth site of operation at the Family Services Center in the Sunnyslope neighborhood funded by the City of Phoenix, Office of Homeless Solutions. Three of SVdP’s dining room locations and Family Support Services, served as cooling stations and indoor cooling spaces. Additionally, SVdP operated two water trucks this year that dispersed water, sack lunches, shelter navigation and resource connection around Maricopa County.
The services came in response to a record number of heat-associated deaths last year. In 2023, Maricopa County recorded more than 645 heat-associated deaths, a 52% increase from 2022, 45% of the deaths were people experiencing homelessness.
"Beyond providing hydration, nourishment, and shelter during this hot summer, our community became a beacon of hope for our most vulnerable neighbors," Clancy said. "They not only recognized the urgent need but felt the impact of the extreme triple-digit heat themselves. And in response, we came together with compassion and action, offering support to those most at risk. This is the kind of community we strive to be—a community that cares for and uplifts one another."
