HELENA - If you think it gets hot running around town between air conditioned buildings, imagine spending your day outside, carrying your belongings with you, living in and out of homeless shelters. Millions of Americans live like this.

The mission at Helena's God's Love homeless shelter to feed, clothe and shelter those in need. While the work here goes beyond that motto, David Miller, a social worker at the shelter, says there is still a need for much more.

The winter season brings numerous and very serious concerns for the homeless living on the streets. Miller says he has seen many of them succumb to the harsh weather. But the summer sun and heat brings concerns of it's own.

"We see a lot of people with sun burns, severe sun burns, because they lack the lotion to put on. We see a lot of dehydration and we go through a lot of ice and water here," Miller said. "Lots of cool aid, things like that."

Unlike many homeless shelters, the door's are open 24 hours a day at God's Love. So there are always people in the dorms or visiting the common areas. So far this summer the shelter has had it's fair share of heat-related issues. Especially with what Miller calls a huge population of elderly homeless.

"They're the ones that we're concerned about. We've probably had six or seven of them have strokes this summer. Many of them have been minor but still we've had to have the paramedics." As the shelter survives on donations there is no air conditioning and some limited resources.

Miller says people are getting taken care of and trying to beat the summer heat, but it's always a concern when someone doesn't return to the shelter after a hot day on the streets.