Providence Temporarily Closes Dayroom and Services

Community Care Center

CLOSES MARCH 17, 2020

Due to concerns regarding COVID-19, Providence has decided to temporarily close the dayroom and hygiene services at the Community Care Center, effective March 17.

On March 13, Providence released the following statement to The Olympian.

"… Providence will continue to offer mental health and medication services downtown, but will screen patients at the door for an appointment. If a guest presents who does have symptoms, we are partnering with Thurston County Public Health to put a plan in place to help meet the need for testing homeless in our community."

Interfaith Works appreciates Providence's desire to slow the spread of COVID-19, but we are highly concerned about the health and safety of unsheltered people in Thurston County and the lack of options available for people who are living with permanent disability and chronic illness and who are at high risk for transmission.

The Community Care Center drop-in dayroom provides a vital service to over 200 people a day and has the most accessible hygiene services in the city for unsheltered people.

These guests are at the highest risk of infection and death from COVID-19.

What We are Doing to Keep People Safe

1. On March 12, Interfaith Works staff began conducting mandatory screening of guests at the Community Care Center and the Nightly Shelter to monitor symptoms. 
2. We are creating a plan to extend hours at our nightly shelter and provide meals to our shelter guests so they don't have to leave to go to congregant meal locations.
3. Additionally, we will be partnering with local outreach efforts to increase bringing support, medical services, and supplies to people where they are. 
   
4. We plan to work closely with our mental health and clinical partners at the CCC to increase access to clinical services provided there despite the closure of the dayroom. 
   

 

How You Can Help

1. Sign up to bring a meal (either home-cooked or consider food from a local business who might be struggling right now as well), to the nightly shelter and drop it off with staff across the street so we can bring it in and serve it. If you are already signed up, please consider if there are other ways to keep that commitment rather than canceling. We are happy to talk through ideas with you! Check out our volunteer calendar to see what nights we need meals.
2. Are you a medical provider or work in a medical office and you could consider donating oral thermometer devices with disposable plastic covers to shelter providers or outreach workers?
3. Do you work for a union who utilizes N95 masks or Personal Protective Equipment and you could consider donating these supplies to us?
4. Do you work for an entertainment company and you have excess bulk wristbands you could consider donating to us? Wristbands are how we are tracking our screening process.
5. Are you healthy, at low risk of transmission and willing to help us with our increased personnel needs due to mandatory screening each day? We have volunteer roles, and may have temporary paid positions opening up as well.
6. Do you have one or more rechargeable, oral thermometers you could donate that is compatible with Welch Allyn thermometer probes? 
7. Can you donate food items like Cup O' Soup, Easy Mac, single serving yogurt cups, string cheese, coffee, sugar, creamer, soft drinks and bottled water, bulk items that we could use to make meals with?
8. Do you sew and have extra fabric/elastic around that you could make our staff and guests cloth face masks such as [this pattern]?
9. Can you help make DIY facemasks such [as this]?
10. Do you have light to medium weight machine washable blankets, twin size sheets, and pillow cases you could donate? Can you ask your neighbor if they have any to donate as well?
    
11. Can you donate clothes, socks, underwear, hand warmers, sleeping bags, tents, tarps, gloves, hats, rain gear, etc.? 
12. Make a purchase on our Amazon Wish List and make an immediate impact on our most needed items.

Learn More

If you want to learn more about how you can help, contact us.

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Make a One-Time or Monthly Donation

Can you donate to help us cover the additional costs of responding to this pandemic?

The bulk of the public health response to COVID-19 for people experiencing homelessness is falling to front line healthcare and homeless service providers.

Thank you in advance for considering a donation. We could not do this work without you.

Meg Martin, MSW, CPC
Executive Director