The World Health Organization recommends drinking plenty of water, avoiding alcohol, caffeine, and sugar, and refraining from strenuous activity to stay cool. Wearing lightweight clothing and staying in the shade can also help. For those without air conditioning, opening windows at night when it's cooler and closing them during the day can help keep homes cool.
Berks County
- Centro Hispano Daniel Torres
- Reading - Centro Hispano Mami Angie Casa de la Amistad Senior Center
- Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 4:00pm
- Boyertown - Center at Spring Street
Monday through Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm with numerous evening and weekend activities
Cumberland County
- New Hope Ministries’ West Shore Center: 701 Bosler Ave, Lemoyne, PA 17043
- New Hope Ministries’ Mechanicsburg Center: 5228 E. Trindle Rd, Mechanicsburg, PA 17050
- New Hope Ministries’ Enola Center: 110 Altoona Avenue, Enola, PA 17025
In addition to providing a cool space, New Hope Ministries is also accepting donations of air conditioning units for those in need. A list of local cooling centers in the area can be found here.
As temperatures rise in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, cooling centers are opening to provide respite from the heat. The Millersburg Upper Paxton Emergency Management Agency announced that all locations of the Dauphin County Library System will serve as cooling stations during their regular operating hours. However, the library system will be closed on Wednesday in observance of Juneteenth.
In addition to libraries, many senior centers are also opening their doors as cooling centers. The county's Area Agency on Aging has a limited number of air conditioning units and fans available for seniors in need. Those interested can call 717-780-6131 to inquire about availability.
The Dauphin County commissioners have designated the following:
- Dauphin County
- Downtown Daily Bread: 234 South Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101
- East Hanover Senior Center: 8848 Jonestown Road, Shellsville-Grantville, PA 17028
- 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Friday
- B’nai B’rith Senior Center: 130 S. 3rd Street Harrisburg, PA 17101
- Hours will vary Monday through Friday
- Jewish Community Center: 3301 N. Front St, Harrisburg, PA 17110
- 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday
- Heinz-Menaker Senior Center: 1824 N. 4th St, Harrisburg, PA 17102
- 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday through Friday
- Leader Center for Active Life: 605 Cocoa Avenue, Hershey, PA 17033
- 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday
- Friendship Senior Center: 5000 Commons Dr., Harrisburg, PA 17112
- 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday
- Lykens Ballroom Senior Center: 200 W. Main Street, Lykens, PA 17048
- 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday and Friday
- Millersburg Senior Center: 109 Edward Dr., Millersburg, PA 17061
- 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday
- Calvary Wesleyan Church: 200 Miller Road, Upper Paxton Township
- 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday
- Northern Dauphin Human Services Center: 209 State Street, Elizabethville
- 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday
Lancaster County
New Hope Ministries is one of the outreach groups providing cooling centers, with nine facilities open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Additional Cooling Centers:
- GEARS: 70 South Poplar Street Elizabethtown, PA 17022
- Columbia Dream Center: 360 Locust Street Columbia, PA 17512
- Community Action Partnership of Lancaster County: 510 Walnut Street Columbia United Methodist Church Columbia, PA 17512
- Library System of Lancaster County: 595 Granite Run Drive Lancaster, PA 17601
- Spanish American Civic Association: 545 Pershing Avenue Lancaster, PA 17602
- Lancaster County Office of Aging: 222 North George Street St Paul Lutheran Church Millersville, PA 17551
- Lancaster County Office of Aging: 184 South Lime Street Quarryville Community Park Quarryville, PA 17566
Lebanon County
- Lebanon Community Library - Lebanon - Cooling Center
- Hours: Monday through Wednesday, 8:00am to 8:00pm Thursday, 8:00am to 7:00pm
- Friday through Saturday, 8:00am to 5:00pm Sunday, closed
York County
- New Hope Ministries’ Dillsburg Center: 99 W. Church Street, Dillsburg, PA 17019
- New Hope Ministries’ Dover Center: 62 North Main Street, Dover, PA 17315
- New Hope Ministries’ Hanover Center: 135 Baltimore Street, Hanover, PA 17331
- New Hope Ministries’ New Oxford Center: 154 Enterprise Drive, New Oxford, PA 17350
- New Hope Ministries’ Red Land Center: 539 Old York Road, New Cumberland, PA 17070
- Delta Area Senior Center: 5 Pendyrus Street Suite 1 (Front and Hill Streets) Delta, PA 17314
- Windy Hill on the Campus: 1472 Roths Church Road Suite 103 Spring Grove, PA 17362
- Susquehanna Area Senior Center: 2427 Craley Road Wrightsville, PA 17368
- Golden Connections Community Center: 20-C Gotham Place Red Lion, PA 17356
- Stewartstown Senior Center: 26 South Main Street Stewartstown United Methodist Church Shrewsbury, PA 17361
- September House Senior Center: 1251 West King Street York, PA 17404
- Yorktown Senior Center: 509 Pacific Avenue York, PA 17404
- White Rose Senior Center: 27 South Broad Street York, PA 17403
- Mount Wolf Senior Center: 131 Center St Mount Wolf, PA 17347