Just Ask Mia Is Helping Provide Arizona Families with Heat Relief This Summer

Imagine having to choose between paying your electricity bill to keep the fan running or buying groceries for the week. This is the invisible reality of extreme summer heat for many families. This is why Just Ask Mia, Arizona’s resource chatbot, provides people with instant connections to supportive community resources. Developed in 2024 by Valley Leadership’s Child Well-being Impact Maker team, Mia gives families a free, easy, and completely anonymous way to ask for help so that small challenges don’t turn into major summer crises. 

So, What Exactly Is Heat Relief?

Sometimes referred to as cooling stations, heat relief centers provide a safe, air-conditioned space for people to stay in during days of extreme temperatures. These life-saving operations run seasonally every year from May 1 through September 30 during the hottest months of the summer. Located in libraries, churches, senior centers, and schools, they offer free drinking water and basic survival kits with items like hats, sunscreen, and water bottles.

Providing this vital respite requires an “all hands on deck” effort, and we are incredibly grateful to the network of local non-profits, faith-based groups, and public spaces that open their doors to host them. By stepping up as hosts, these organizations voluntarily take on extra utility costs and logistical coordination out of pure care for their neighbors. They do so much more than turn up the air conditioning—they provide safety, support, and human connection when people need it most.

Arizona’s Heat Impacts Everyone, and Mia Is Here to Help

The Arizona heat is a serious challenge that can impact anyone. It doesn’t matter if you are a tourist, a new resident, or someone who has lived here for decades—the summer weather puts everyone at risk. Because extreme heat is a predictable hazard we face every single year, regional coalitions step up in a major way to protect their neighbors.

To lead this fight in the Valley, the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) works alongside the Maricopa County Department of Public Health to coordinate the Heat Relief Network in the greater Phoenix area. MAG serves as a central hub, bringing together hundreds of voluntary partners to form a unified safety net. This life-saving coordination extends across the entire state, with similar networks activated from Pima County’s extensive regional coverage in the Tucson area, to vital hydration sites managed across Yuma, Pinal, Yavapai, and Coconino counties.

With over 400 heat relief sites active across Arizona, navigating where to go can feel overwhelming. That is where Just Ask Mia comes in. Mia maps out this massive statewide network into a single, consolidated database. Available in both English and Spanish, Mia features simple navigation to tell you exactly where to go to get the help you need, right when you need it. If transportation is the primary barrier to getting to safety, our partners at 211 Arizona are also ready to help by offering free rides to cooling centers for eligible callers who dial 2-1-1.

The Most Vulnerable: How Mia Can Help Unhoused Populations in the Summer

While the unhoused population makes up a small percentage of Arizona’s total population, they account for nearly half of the heat-related deaths each year. Even with the creation of daytime cooling centers, those without shelter bear the brunt of the summer weather.

To address this gap, local groups and governance have started offering 24/7 overnight heat relief sites. Organizations like UMOM add hundreds of beds each summer to their shelters, and some public libraries extend their hours to keep their cooling spaces open late.

While street outreach teams work tirelessly to spread the word, people can only utilize these expanded resources if they know they exist. Just Ask Mia acts as a digital extension of that outreach. Because the chatbot is entirely anonymous and accessible on any smartphone, individuals, advocates, and case workers can instantly pull up nearby overnight shelter options and extended-hour stations on the go.

As our community continues to look for innovative ways to fight the summer heat, Mia has recently been featured on KJZZ radio and 12 News for her role in connecting Arizonans to safety. If accessing clean water, cool spaces, or summer resources feels out of reach for you or someone you know, remember that a helping hand is always just a message away—text “Family” or “Familia” to (877) 558-2261 to let Mia guide you to safety.