Metro volunteers help those stranded in heat find relief at Cobb County cooling centers

COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Cooling centers are expected to reopen on Monday in response to the heat wave.

Over the weekend, volunteers like Bryant Plater at MUST Ministries on Bells Ferry Rd. in Marietta were monitoring the streets for anyone who needed to escape from the temperatures.

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“Being in the heat, it’s just a terrible, terrible thing,” said Plater.

He offered people water and juice at bus stops and alerted them to the free bus rides to the cooling center there.

Bus vouchers are available at the following locations :

HOPE Family Resource Center

• 6108 Mableton Pkwy, Suite 116 Mableton, GA 30126

Family Life Restoration Center

• 6105 Mableton Pkwy Mableton, GA 30126

“Just trying to get them out, make them understand the importance of getting their bodies hydrated, get something good to eat, and just cool their bodies off,” said Plater.

Sunday, workers at MUST Ministries said some who show up at the cooling center are between homes or their air conditioners failed.

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Joseph Cook said he can confirm that.

He owns Cooks Heating and Air and said his team has been working overtime since temperatures spiked this weekend.

“I’m seeing a lot of older systems finally beginning to fail,” said Cook.

He said his team is working until 10:00 pm some nights to keep up with the amount of customers calling for relief.

“First thing Monday morning, we’re right back at it, and we’re taking calls as quickly as possible,” said Cook.

Cobb County has dedicated $180,000 to keep the cooling center in Marietta open through September. Volunteers said, perhaps, it’s worth it. The county’s 911 dispatchers said they took less than five calls for heat-related help over the weekend.

“MUST provides a very, very valuable service to the community,” said Plater.

The MUST Ministries Cooling Center opens at 1297 Bells Ferry Road in Marietta anytime the temperature is 90 degrees or hotter.

The center opens on weekdays at 9 a.m. and closes at 7:30 p.m., allowing clients to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner in an air-conditioned facility. On weekends, the center is open from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

The City of Atlanta has opened a cooling center at Selena Butler Park and Recreation Center. It opens Monday at 11 a.m.

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