Lexington Opens Cooling Centers During Heat Wave

Emily Fay

August 21, 2023

Lexington’s soaring temperatures have prompted the city to open multiple cooling centers. These centers provide much needed relief from the heat.

The Office of Homelessness has sent outreach teams into the community to distribute supplies and help people get to cooling stations. Persons experiencing homelessness may ride LexTran to a cooling station free of charge. The locations and hours are listed below.

Shelter/Cooling Services for Persons Experiencing Homelessness

• Lighthouse Ministries, 190 Spruce Street, will remain open between their lunch and dinner meals. Individuals can access the Lighthouse as an additional cooling station between 12 p.m. and 6 p.m.
• Arobr Youth Services, 540 W. 3^rd Street, is open Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for persons ages 18-24.
• Mountain Comprehensive Care Center, 1060 Goodwin Drive, is open Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• New Life Day Center, 224 N. Martin Luther King Blvd., is open Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. and Saturday 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.
• New Vista, 201 Mechanic Street, is open Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Nathanial Mission, 1109 Versailles Road, is open Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Residents only of The Salvation Army, Hope Center, Catholic Action Center, Arbor Youth Services, and GreenHouse17 will have access to those facilities 24 hours a day.

 General Cooling Centers

• Dunbar Community Center, 545 N. Upper Street, Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Tates Creek Golf Course, 1400 Gainesway Drive, Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to dark.
• Picadome Golf Course, 469 Parkway Drive, Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to dark.
• Lexington Senior Center, 195 Life Lane, Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

 Transportation

• Catholic Action Center will operate its Compassionate Caravan 24 hours/day as needed.
• HopeMobile (operated by Hope Center) provides transportation to shaded areas and provides water and other supplies.
• Street Outreach Teams funded by OHPI provide transportation to shaded areas along with water and other supplies.

The Division of Emergency Management encourages all residents to take precautions if outdoors, especially during the late morning through the afternoon. The very young, the elderly, and those with medical conditions are particularly vulnerable to heat stress and heat-related illnesses, and they should seek shelter from the extreme heat. More information about dealing with extreme heat is available from the Lexington Emergency Management website at Bereadylexington.com/extreme-heat.

General preparedness information is also available via the Lexington Emergency Management Facebook page: @LexingtonKYEM, and the Division of Emergency Management Twitter and Instagram accounts: @Lexkyem.