Candy Allen, a Salvation Army driver who delivers free meals to the elderly in Stanislaus County, typically gets a front-door greeting from one of her favorite clients, an 85-year-old man who lives with his cat. 

But nothing has been typical about this month's heat wave. 

At about 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Allen knocked on the door, which was slightly open, then pushed in when she heard faint mumbling. It was sweltering outside, she said, but hotter inside -- well over 110 degrees. 

"He was sprawled out on his couch, white as a ghost and glassy-eyed," Allen, 42, recalled Wednesday, teary-eyed as she told the story. "His shirt and shorts were soaking wet. He'd been sweating all night." 

The man had a wall-mounted air conditioner next to him, but it was off. He said it was shorting out his electricity, forcing him to rely on a small fan. Rather than call for help, he was suffering through -- barely. 

Allen called paramedics, and the man was taken to a hospital, where he was recovering Wednesday. It was a close call in a deadly week in the Central Valley, and it highlighted the importance of connections between the most fragile residents and the people around them, whether relatives, neighbors or those delivering a daily meal. 

Emergency workers said the elderly are most at risk, especially if they are sick or isolated, but sometimes they slip through the cracks. Most of the 14 people known to have died from the heat in Stanislaus County have been over 65. 

"I wish more people could see what I see," said Allen. "There's so many of them out there. They're afraid, or maybe too stubborn, to ask for help. They want to keep their independence as long as they can." 

Jim Money, the American Red Cross's emergency services director for Stanislaus County, said officials have been surprised by how many seniors have air conditioning but keep it turned off to save money. 

"They don't realize what the heat is doing to them," he said. 

As a result, authorities and aid workers have been looking for ways to connect with the most vulnerable people in the community. 

Modesto police officers made house calls, primarily after receiving calls from out-of-town relatives who had trouble reaching their family members, said Sgt. Craig Gundlach, a department spokesman. Firefighters visited residents in poorer areas, who are less likely to have air conditioners, and checked the temperature at nursing homes. 

The Red Cross since Tuesday has staffed nine cooling centers in the county, open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. By 3 p.m. Wednesday, 200 people had visited one of the centers near the Modesto Airport, in a neighborhood where many residents can't afford air conditioners or the electricity needed to power them. 

"We have nowhere else to go," said Gladys Parker, 58, who lives in Keyes with her husband. 

Parker, who has asthma and emphysema, uses a nebulizer to inhale medicine. She uses a walker as a result of chronic arthritis. The inside of her one-story stucco house climbed as high as 116 degrees after the air conditioner broke down last week. 

"We've been taking cold showers every hour or so and sitting in front of fans," said her husband, 43-year-old Dewaine Parker. Finally, on Tuesday, a firefighter who lives next door told the couple about the cooling centers. 

At the next table, a large group of children in shorts or sundresses watched a DVD -- "The Polar Express." 

"The only thing I like about this heat is the tan," explained 7-year-old Crystal Perry. 

Homeless people, too, have been struggling. Sandra Tighe, a 44-year-old former San Jose resident, has been living recently with her boyfriend in an RV parked near railroad tracks in Modesto. She said she had vomited more than once and had hardly slept during the wave. 

"People don't realize how tough it is to be homeless, and when it's like this it's worse," Tighe said Wednesday while looking for clothing at a shelter. 

The front lines of the heat wave are being staffed by people like Allen and fellow drivers for the Salvation Army, who at times are the strongest link between elderly residents and the outside world. 

Driver Doug Lilly, 39, was homeless a couple of years ago after losing a job. He was offered work while at a winter shelter in Turlock (Stanislaus County) and now lives at the Salvation Army shelter in Modesto with Allen and other staffers. 

As he drove his route Wednesday, the air conditioner of his Ford Freestar blasting, Lilly said his job had taken on added urgency during the heat wave. 
"I worry about them all the time," he said. "Some of them are alone - you have to worry about them." 

One of his clients, 84-year-old Lee May, said she and other widows in her mobile-home park had been looking after each other. 

"I'll tell you another secret," she said. "I like to eat ice cream." 

At some homes, Lilly was met at the door. At others, he left meals in a cooler that had been left outside. At the home of Anna McIntosh, a 92-year-old former Martinez resident, he didn't get an immediate answer at the open front door, so he quickly pushed in, with a concerned look on his face. 

"This ain't weather for people my age," McIntosh said moments later as she accepted the meal of chili, bread, fruit and milk. 

It was just before noon and about 100 degrees outside, but McIntosh had her air conditioner running along with a standing fan. Behind her, a television newscaster reported, "The heat is still at dangerous levels." 

She strained against the pain of cramps in her hands as she described headaches and stomach sickness she was experiencing. But she was in good spirits, saying, "I don't know what's happening to this old girl." 

"Are you drinking enough water?" Lilly asked. 

"I've got some tea over there," McIntosh said, pointing to a glass of iced tea. 
"You be careful," Lilly said. 
"You be careful, too," McIntosh responded. 

As Lilly walked out the door, McIntosh said, "It's not been easy all these years, but this is bad. I'd sure like to see a breeze come in." 

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