KEYSTONE HEIGHTS – Jessie Shekels didn’t have to look at the thermometer on the refrigerator to know it was hot. The beads of sweat on her forehead and the whirring sounds of fans in the background were far more telling than any digital numeral.

The building that serves as the hub of services at Twisted Oaks Rescue is usually bustling with activity. It’s where 75 families from Clay, Putnam and Bradford counties get food for their dogs and cats, spay and neuter care and reduced low-cost medical services.

Although she still receives plenty of donations for supplies and support, Shekels had to redirect many of those services for a relentless reason.

The Florida heat.

The metal building has air conditioning but no insulation. Even when the doors are open, the AC is running and all the fans are on high, it’s still nearly 100 degrees inside. The thermometer on the refrigerator proves it.

So Shekels made adjustments.

She’s taking a “summer break” for the free pet food distribution because it’s too hot inside the building to store donated food. The humidity and heat quickly turn bagged dry food into mush. Moreover, it’s too hot for the volunteers.

“I think what we do is wonderful for the community, and I want to keep doing it,” she said. “I want to do it smartly, efficiently and safely for the volunteers, but the heat is challenging.

“We put this up about two and a half years ago. We made improvements to it. We’ve never really asked for donations towards our building. My husband and I pay for it ourselves because this is our property.”

The Shekels bought a $1,700 air conditioner, but desperately need insulation. They can install it, but they must use an indoor construction lift and insulation materials.

Since opening, Twisted Oaks has distributed more than 87 tons of pet food to the three-county community. It also hosts two wellness clinics a month and a 25-cat monthly transport for spay, neuter, and FVRCP vaccines.

“We need insulation and wall covering to keep it clean because we want to continue to provide some medical services to the community in our local area,” Shekels said. “I feel like it’s a really far reach, so I decided to pause to come up with a better plan.

“If someone owns an insulation company, we wouldn’t say no to any assistance. I don’t have any of those connections in the community,” she said. “I want to be very honest with you; running a nonprofit and keeping a good reputation in the community is hard. I like to be very transparent about what we do here. I love what we do, but the heat just is intense for everyone.”

The outreach hasn’t stopped; it’s shifted in a different direction. While Twisted Oaks can’t take individual donations, she still gets large donations from businesses like Tractor Supply. When she does, she forwards them to other local animal rescues and food banks.

When community members ask for help, she refers them to the nearest rescue.

The heat has reduced the number of her wellness clinics provided by St. Francis Pet Care, lovingly called Loki’s Lunchbox, to the last Wednesday of the month. Pet owners must register in advance at TORcliniccoordinator@gmail.com.

Twisted Oaks Rescue also accepts 25 cats on the third Wednesday of the month to be taken by Sheltering Hands in Ocala to be spayed, neutered and vaccinated. The pets are returned later in the afternoon and are returned to their owners. For more information, visit fixthemall.org.

Anyone with information can contact Shekels at twistedoaksrescue@gmail.com or text 262-623-7331.