With an increased concern for the spread of COVID-19, homeless shelters and organizations are taking action to help protect homeless people from the virus.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regulations are changing by the day to better protect all communities. The Fund For Empowerment is just one organization working to help supply homeless shelters and people.
“We’ve gotten out probably 250 masks and about 200 little bottles of hand sanitizers,” Elizabeth Venable, treasurer for the Fund For Empowerment, said. “We’ve gotten out toilet paper, probably about 200 rolls of it.”
The Fund For Empowerment isn’t only working to help supply homeless people with the protection they need, but they are taking the next step financially for them as well.
“We are working on stimulus checks,” Venable said. “A lot of them who have SSI or SSD, have already received their checks.”
Many volunteers, still working to with the Fund For Empowerment, are being required to wear masks and gloves.
Although these extra measures are helpful, they don’t fully protect homeless people from the coronavirus while they’re on the streets.
“In protecting homeless people from COVID, the ideal would be hotel rooms,” Venable said.
The Society of Saint Vincent De Paul has been able to give their residents “dormitory style” living as a way to better protect them. Each resident is given their own room, allowing for the appropriate amount of social distancing.
Marisol Saldivar, public relations manager for The Society of Saint Vincent De Paul, was able to better describe their situation.
“It’s all been limited down to one-to-one interactions,” Saldivar said. “We aren’t doing congregate dining anymore, the residents are lining up six feet apart, picking up their meal to go and eat in their own areas.”
Not only are they able be socially distant within their community, but were recently able to confirm their lack of coronavirus cases at the shelter.
“We know that our shelter residents and our staff went through testing last week and everyone came back negative,” Saldivar said. “I think it’s a testament to what we’re doing and that our social distancing practices and hourly sanitizing is working.”
According to an email from Dayna Gabler, Chief Development Officer of CASS, “CASS has an EMT available on our campus 24 hours a day who is available to see any client who requests their services. If a client presents with severe flu-like symptoms, our staff will call the campus EMT immediately (or 911 as needed).”
CASS has been working in collaboration with the Maricopa County Public Health Department, Circle the City and Community Bridges to help distribute medical screenings of all clients.
Not only has CASS limited their occupancy to follow CDC guidelines, but they have also relocated the more vulnerable clients, to a separate building on the HSC campus, in an effort to limit their exposure.
“We are also working toward starting up a hotel program in the next few weeks for emergency shelter for these special populations, especially as we enter into the dangerous heat of the Arizona summer,” Gabler said.
Although these homeless shelters and organizations are working their hardest to care for homeless people in Arizona, they are always accepting donations when possible.
Contact the reporter at karichm1@asu.edu.
