Senior community centers turned into cooling centers Tuesday and Wednesday for older New Yorkers trying to escape the heat.
Giant fans flowed over the chatter of lunchtime at the Covello Center for older adults in East Harlem.
"Ice cold water on this kind of hot day, it's pretty good for us," said Young Lee, who is a regular in the ceramics class there.
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"The best activities, oh my God," emphasized Olga Gines. "We dance like you don't know. We really dance!"
The priority shifts to safety when temperatures reach unbearable levels.
"I walked over here half a block and almost fainted," confessed neighbor Wilfredo Gonzalez. "I've got a bad heart."
When asked why he risked the trip, Gonzalez responded, "Because I gotta eat!"
Breakfast and lunch offerings at the center make up many neighbors' daily diets.
"It's not for the food, not for the breakfast," said Christopher Avila. "It's for the companions we have. We live alone in the house. We don't need to be worried about it. They call us. It's wonderful people, beautiful."
By: Jessi Mitchell
Featured on CBS News New York