Orlando nonprofit Pathlight HOME seeks donations to help homeless during dangerous heat
Essential items to help unhoused community members endure extreme heat can be donated in person at Maxwell Terrace Apartments in Orlando or online
AT LEAST 100 DEGREES. THAT’S WHAT IT WILL FEEL LIKE TODAY YET AGAIN ACROSS CENTRAL FLORIDA. JUST TAKE A LOOK AT THOSE. FEELS LIKE TEMPERATURES. DANGEROUS HEAT IS TAKING A TOLL ON PEOPLE THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY THOSE WITHOUT A STABLE PLACE TO CALL HOME. LOCAL OUTREACH TEAMS NEED YOUR HELP TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR NEIGHBORS CAN GET SOME RELIEF. AND JOINING ME NOW IS THE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER AT PATHLIGHT HOME, DANNY AURORA. DANNY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. ABSOLUTELY. OKAY. SO FIRST, FOR OUR VIEWERS, WHAT IS PATHLIGHT HOME? TELL US ALL ABOUT THE NONPROFIT, WHAT YOU GUYS DO. SURE. SO WE’VE BEEN AROUND FOR OVER 30 YEARS AND WE’RE THE LARGEST PROVIDER OF PERMANENT HOUSING HERE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA. WE HAVE A COUPLE OF LOCATIONS HERE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA, IN DELTONA AND SEMINOLE COUNTY. SO WE JUST PROVIDE HOUSING FOR THOSE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, AND WE PROVIDE CASE MANAGEMENT. WE HAVE AN EMPLOYMENT CENTER, A CULINARY PROGRAM. WE DO ALL THE SUPPORTIVE SERVICES TO HELP THEM STAY IN HOUSING AND KIND OF GET THEM BETTER WITH THEIR LIVES. AND THOSE UNITS THAT THEY’RE LIVING IN. OKAY. ABSOLUTELY. JUST FOR FOLKS WATCHING. SO THE REQUIREMENT THEN FOR, FOR THOSE TO THEN MAYBE BE A PART OF ONE OF YOUR PROGRAMS OR TO LIVE IN ONE OF THOSE PLACES YOU’RE EXPLAINING WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS. SO WE HAVE A PROGRAM UNITS WHICH ARE REFERRED OVER BY THE HOMELESS SERVICES NETWORK. SO THEY’LL REFER THOSE CLIENTS OVER TO US THAT THEY HAVE PUT ON A REGISTRY. YOU DO IT BY SEVERITY OF HOW YOU KNOW HOW LONG THEY’VE BEEN IN THE STREET OR YOU KNOW, WHAT THEIR STATUS IS. SO THEY’LL REFER THEM OVER TO US. WE HAVE UNITS ASSIGNED FOR THEM. THEY GET CASE MANAGED. AND THEN WE HAVE ALSO MARKET UNITS OR ANYONE OFF THE STREET, ANYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY WHO IS HOMELESS CAN COME APPLY AND THERE’S INCOME REQUIREMENTS AND THEY HAVE TO SHOW PROOF OF HOMELESSNESS. AND THEN WE HAVE UNITS AVAILABLE. THEN WE START THE PROCESS OF. SO YOU HAVE A FEW DIFFERENT PROGRAMS OUT THERE. WE DO TO HELP THOSE THAT ARE UNHOUSED. DANNY. SO LET ME ASK YOU, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, ESPECIALLY IN OUR YOU KNOW, WE’RE FULL ON IN THE SUMMER MONTHS ARE FEELS LIKE TEMPERATURES ARE TRIPLE DIGITS. SO HOW DANGEROUS IS THIS TIME OF YEAR THEN FOR THESE FOLKS OUT THERE ON THE STREETS? IT’S BAD. IN ENCAMPMENTS, IN TENTS, JUST LIVING ON THE STREET, DEALING WITH THE ELEMENTS OF EVERY DAY. AND NOW WITH THE HEAT, IT JUST MAKES IT EVEN WORSE. SO IT’S, YOU KNOW, THE HEALTH IS AT RISK, OF COURSE. SO OUR TEAMS, WE HAVE TWO DIFFERENT OUTREACH TEAMS THAT GO OUT AND KIND OF KNOW THE AREAS. AND WE KNOW KIND OF THE COMMUNITY THAT’S OUT THERE ALREADY. AND WE JUST TRY TO HELP THEM AS MUCH AS WE CAN AND PROVIDE THEM THE ESSENTIALS THAT THEY NEED. SO DANNY, WHAT ARE WHAT ARE SOME OF THOSE ESSENTIALS THAT YOU’RE BRINGING TO? OF COURSE, YEAH. WATER BOTTLES, PONCHOS. BECAUSE OF THE RAINY SEASON, HURRICANE SEASON, RIGHT? PONCHOS, FLIP FLOPS, BUG SPRAY, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY’RE IN THE WOODS. HAND SANITIZER, ANYTHING, HYGIENE PRODUCTS, ALL THOSE THINGS WILL HELP THEM WHILE THEY’RE OUT THERE. ESPECIALLY WATER IS THE MAIN THING. SO WE GO OUT WITH WATER BOTTLES AND JUST HAND THEM OUT AS WE’RE TALKING TO PEOPLE, JUST SO THEY STAY HYDRATED. AND THESE ARE SOME OF THE ITEMS TOO, THAT IF OUR VIEWERS ARE WATCHING AND THEY HAVE THE FUNDS AND THE MEANS THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THEY, YOU KNOW, IT’S CALLING ON PULLING AT THEIR HEART, THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT YOU WOULD WANT THEM TO DONATE RIGHT NOW. YES, DEFINITELY. YEAH. THEY CAN. THEY HAVE TWO WAYS THEY CAN DONATE. THEY CAN EASILY GO TO OUR MAXWELL TERRACE PROPERTY, WHICH IS AT 3200 WEST COLONIAL DRIVE. OKAY. OR THEY CAN GO ONTO OUR WEBSITE, W WW.ORG. AND THEY CAN THERE’S A LINK THERE FOR AN AMAZON WISH LIST THAT THEY CAN CLICK. AND IT GIVES YOU EVERYTHING THAT’S ON THIS. IT’S VERY EASY TO TO CLICK AND DONATE. DANNY, WHAT IS THE LIKELIHOOD ONCE YOU GO OUT AND YOU ARE MEETING WITH THE PEOPLE THAT, YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU SAID, THAT ARE IN CERTAIN AREAS OR ENCAMPMENTS AND THIS KIND OF HEAT TO GET THEM OUT OF THE HEAT AND TO FIND THEM, YOU KNOW, POTENTIAL SHELTER HERE. WELL, THERE ARE COOLING CENTERS AT THE MOMENT AND YOU CAN GO TO THE HOMELESS SERVICES NETWORK WEBSITE AND THEY’LL GIVE YOU ALL THE LOCATIONS IN ORANGE, OSCEOLA AND SEMINOLE COUNTY. SO IT TELLS YOU WHERE THEY CAN GO AND KIND OF GET OUT OF THE ELEMENTS IN THOSE COOLING CENTERS, PROVIDE SHOWERS, AND THEY’LL PROVIDE FOOD. AND JUST TO GET THEM OUT OF THE HEAT FOR THE MOMENT, FOR US, WE, WE TRY TO CALL THESE CENTERS TO TRY TO TRANSPORT THEM WHERE WE CAN GIVE THEM THE ADDRESSES, WE GIVE THEM BUS PASSES THEY NEED TO GO. SO WE TRY TO HELP THEM AS MUCH AS WE CAN SO THEY CAN GET OUT OF THAT SITUATION. HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO HAVE THE COOLING CENTERS THIS TIME OF YEAR? OBVIOUSLY EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. IT IS. I MEAN, AGAIN, 100 DEGREE WEATHER HIGHER. AND JUST THINK OF LIVING IN A TENT, HOW HOT IT COULD BE. SO JUST BRINGING THEM THERE AND GETTING THEM OUT OF THE ELEMENTS FOR A WHILE, GET SOME AIR CONDITIONING, GET SOME FOOD, GET THOSE ESSENTIALS THAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT, THE WATER AND THE PONCHOS AND THE BUG REPELLENT. IT HELPS A LOT. SO WE TRY TO PUSH IT AS MUCH AS WE CAN WHEN WE’RE DOING OUTREACH AND LET THEM KNOW THESE PLACES ARE THERE FOR YOU. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THEM AND GO THERE. AND DANNY, I’M SURE THAT OBVIOUSLY THE LONG TERM GOAL, THOUGH, IS TO GET EVERYONE INTO A HOME 100%. THAT’S THAT’S ALL WE DO, REGARDLESS OF WHO WE SPEAK TO, IS THE END RESULT FOR US IS HOUSING. WE WANT TO END HOMELESSNESS IN CENTRAL FLORIDA. SO WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS WHEN WE ARE HELPING THEM, NOT JUST WITH COOLING CENTERS, BUT JUST IN GENERAL IS TALKING ABOUT HOW CAN WE HELP YOU GET OUT OF THIS SITUATION YOU’RE IN, AND GET OUT OF THE TENT AND SEE HOW WE CAN ASSIST. EXCELLENT. WELL, DANNY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING ON AND TELLING US ALL ABOUT PATH HOME. AND THEN OBVIOUSLY WHAT’S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW WITH THESE COOLING CENTERS AND HOW OUR VIEWERS CAN STEP IN AND DONATE AND ALL OF THAT. WE’RE GOING TO HAVE ALL THIS INFORMATION. THIS LINK WILL BE POSTED ON WESH.COM. SO IF YOU MISSED ANY OF IT, FOLKS CAN
Orlando nonprofit Pathlight HOME seeks donations to help homeless during dangerous heat
Essential items to help unhoused community members endure extreme heat can be donated in person at Maxwell Terrace Apartments in Orlando or online
Updated: 9:59 AM EDT Jun 30, 2026
Dangerous heat is taking a toll on Central Florida, especially for those without stable housing, and local outreach teams are calling for donations to provide relief. Danny Arroyo, chief operating officer at Pathlight HOME, joins WESH 2 as the nonprofit’s outreach teams deliver essential items to help people survive the heat. Arroyo also addressed the dangers of this time of year for people without a home and emphasized the importance of providing relief and shelter. Donations can be dropped off at Maxwell Terrace Apartments, located at 3200 W. Colonial Dr. in Orlando. Items needed include new plastic water bottles, bug spray, sunscreen, rain ponchos, flip-flops, cooling towels, reusable water bottles, detergent, soap, shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant, hats, and umbrellas. For those unable to donate in person, Pathlight HOME has a pop-up link to its Amazon Needs List for donation items on its website. Click here to learn more and contribute.
ORLANDO, Fla. —
Dangerous heat is taking a toll on Central Florida, especially for those without stable housing, and local outreach teams are calling for donations to provide relief.
Danny Arroyo, chief operating officer at Pathlight HOME, joins WESH 2 as the nonprofit’s outreach teams deliver essential items to help people survive the heat.
Arroyo also addressed the dangers of this time of year for people without a home and emphasized the importance of providing relief and shelter.
Donations can be dropped off at Maxwell Terrace Apartments, located at 3200 W. Colonial Dr. in Orlando.
Items needed include new plastic water bottles, bug spray, sunscreen, rain ponchos, flip-flops, cooling towels, reusable water bottles, detergent, soap, shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant, hats, and umbrellas.
For those unable to donate in person, Pathlight HOME has a pop-up link to its Amazon Needs List for donation items on its website.
Click here to learn more and contribute.