Volunteers check on elderly in heat

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - As the heat continues, it may be a good time to check on older loved ones and  neighbors, who are more vulnerable to the heat.

Grand Rapids police, the Kent County Sheriff's Department and other police agencies have a staff of volunteers -- mostly retirees -- who want to serve their community. They perform a number of jobs, including checking on elderly residents.

"We've had houses where the doors wouldn't close, plumbing wouldn't work, furnaces were shot and carbon monoxide was in the house," said Kent County Sheriff's Department Community Service Unit volunteer David VanOort.

In this heat, that job has become even more important. The people who runs the GRPD and sheriff's department services say they're making extra visits and phone calls to people to make sure they're all right.

Volunteers VanOort and Sue Wildey were welcome guests in Hattie White's home Tuesday.

Part of Wildey and VanOort's duties is to fulfill a simple human need: They're someone for older residents to talk to.

"It's very important to me. I see them coming, I know they're happy. If I've got anything to do, they'll do it and we have a wonderful visit," said White.

Like their counterparts with the Grand Rapids Police Department's You Are Not Alone program and similar programs elsewhere in West Michigan, the volunteers make weekly rounds to the home of the elderly, many of whom are shut-ins.

As the heat continues, the visits are more important and in some cases, more frequent.

The volunteers check to make sure the elderly have fans or an air conditioner and a good supply of water. If they don't have the necessities, the volunteers will get in touch with the agencies that can provided them.

The volunteers say they sometimes worry.   

"There's one gal that lives in a trailer, and I worry about her, because that's like being in an oven if she loses her air," said Wildey.

Unfortunately, that's exactly what happened when the volunteers paid a visit to that home. 24 Hour News 8 was with the volunteers at the trailer when the power went out.

In Margaret Worden's northern Kent County home, fans help the small AC unit get some cool air circulating in the home. On Tuesday, one of her circuits clicked off.

But Worden said she'll be OK.

"My mother was born in 1900. In 1900, none of this stuff was available. You just opened the windows," she said.

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To register for visits from volunteers:

GRPD's You Are Not Alone (YANA): 616.456.3328

Kent County Sheriff's Department Community Service Unit: 616.632.6221