TRYING TO COPE WITH THE TEMPORARY NEW NORMAL OF SOCIAL
DISTANCING IN THE WAKE OF THE COVID-19 OUTBREAK IS A
PARTICULAR CHALLENGE TO THOSE LIVING IN SHELTERS.
CAROLEE MCGRATH SPOKE WITH THERESA NICHOLSON, THE DIRECTOR
OF HOMELESSNESS SERVICES FROM CHD TO LEARN MORE HOW SHELTERS
ARE CONTINUING THEIR MISSION.
>> WE HAVE TAKEN THIS VERY SERIOUSLY AND WE HAVE RESPECTED
ALL OF THE CDC AND THE GOVERNOR'S REQUEST FOR SOCIAL
DISTANCING, AND WHAT WE'VE ALSO DONE IS LIMITED THE VISITORS
THAT ARE COMING IN AND OUT OF OUR SHELTER.
WE HAVE 263 UNITS OF FAMILY SHELTER WITHIN WESTERN
MASSACHUSETTS BETWEEN SPRINGFIELD, HOLYOKE, SOUTH
HADLEY, AMHERST AND PALMER AND SO WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO DO
THINGS LIKE WORK WITH LOCAL SCHOOLS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE
CHILDREN HAVE FOOD AND THEY'VE BEEN VERY GOOD AT ASSISTING US
WITH THAT.
AND THEN WE'VE ALSO WORKED TO MAKE SURE THAT IF ANYONE IS IN
CRISIS WE HAVE GIFT CARDS AVAILABLE TO OUR FAMILIES SO
THAT THEY CAN GET FOOD OR GASOLINE OR ANY KIND OF SUPPLIES
THAT THEY NEED, AND F. WE'LL EVEN GO OUT AND BUY THEM FOR
THEM AS LONG AS WE KNOW WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE AND STUFF, WE'LL
DROP THEM OUTSIDE OF THEIR DOOR AND IF ANYTHING BECOMES URGENT
WE'LL MAKE SURE WE COMMUNICATE VIA PHONE AND WE STILL HAVE OUR
SHELTER STAFF STILL ON THE FRONTLINE COVERING OUR SHELTERS
24 HOURS A DAY, 7 DAYS A WEEK TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN ALSO
MONITOR IF ANYONE'S BECOME ILL AND NEEDS TO BE SELF QUARANTINED
WITHIN THE SHELTER ENVIRONMENT.
>> HOW WOULD YOU DO THAT IF SOMEBODY BECOMES ILL OR KEEP
OTHER PEOPLE AWAY?
>> WELL, WE'RE LUCKY IN THAT I WOULD SAY 95% OF OUR FAMILY
SHELTERS ARE EITHER TWO-PERSON HOUSEHOLDS WHERE TWO FAMILIES
MIGHT SHARE ONE APARTMENT OR PEOPLE ARE IN THEIR OWN
APARTMENT SO IF SOMEBODY ACTUALLY SHARED AN APARTMENT
SETTING WE'D MAKE SURE THEY'D PUT INTO THEIR OWN UNIT WITH
THEIR FAMILY AND HAVE ACCESS TO A BEDROOM WHERE THEY COULD BE
QUARANTINED AND WE'D CONTINUE TO BRING FOOD AND LEAVE IT OUTSIDE
OF THAT DOOR TO BOTH PROTECT OUR STAFF FROM EXPOSURE OR ANY OTHER
CLIENTS THAT ARE LIVING IN OUR BUILDING OR OUR SHELTER
RESIDENTS LIVING IN THE BUILDING.
>> AND WHAT IS THE PROTOCOL, HOW ARE THEY CONNECTED WITH HEALTH
SERVICES IF IT'S SUSPECTED, YOU KNOW, MAYBE ONE OF THE KIDS HAS
A FEVER OR AN EAR INFECTION, HOW IS THAT HANDLED?
>> WE'VE ASKED THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT STHEY NOTIFY SHELTER STAFF
AND ALL OF THE LOCATIONS ARE LOCATED NEAR MANY OF THE
SHELTERS THAT WE HAVE AND MANY TIMES IT'S LESS THAN 3 OR 4
BLOCKS SO WE'VE ASKED THAT THEY CALL AND KEEP US NOTIFIED OF ANY
FEVERS OR ANY SYMPTOMS ASSOCIATED WITH COVID-19 AND
THEN AT THAT TIME WE START CONTACTING A DOCTOR AND WE'VE
ASKED EVERYONE TAKE ADVICE WHETHER IT'S OUR SHELTER
RESIDENTS OR OUR STAFF THE ADVICE OF THEIR PHYSICIAN.
>> AND TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE SUPPLIES, CLEANING
SUPPLIES, THAT EVERYBODY IS LOOKING FOR BUT HOW ARE YOU
DEALING WITH THAT IN THE SHELTERS AND WHO'S RESPONSIBLE
IF THERE'S A COMMON-AREA BATHROOM FOR MAKING SURE THAT IS
SANITIZED?
>> WE'RE -- IN OUR OFFICE SPACE WE HAVE STAFF THAT ARE KEEPING
THINGS SANITIZED ON A REGULAR BASIS AND WE'VE ALSO HAD TO TAKE
OUR LEADERSHIP STAFF, MYSELF INCLUDED AND MY OPERATIONS
MANAGERS AND OUR OTHER LEADERS AND WE'VE GONE OUT IN TEAMS TO
BE ABLE TO LOCATE SUPPLIES SO WE'VE HAD TO GO TO MULTIPLE
DIFFERENT STORES TO LOCATE THOSE SUPPLIES 'CAUSE ALTHOUGH WE
PREPARED AS BEST AS POSSIBLE WITH EVERYONE ALSO PREPARING
SOME OF OUR ITEMS SUCH AS CLEANING SUPPLIES, GLOVES AND
MASKS ARE ON BACK-ORDER SO WE'VE JUST POUNDED THE PAVEMENT AND
WE'VE EVEN GONE TO CONNECTICUT WHEN WE NEEDED TO LOCATE THOSE
SUPPLIES AND THEN WE HAVE THEM IN EACH OF OUR OFFICES AND OUR
SHELTER RESIDENTS CAN CALL AND LET US KNOW WHAT THEY NEED AND
WE BRING THEM TO THEIR DOOR AND LET THEM KNOW THAT THEY ARE
THERE AND WE'RE IN SCANT COMMUNICATION WITH CLEANLINESS
AS WELL AS FOOD OR OTHER SUPPLIES THAT OUR FAMILY NEEDS.
>> AND ARE KITCHEN AREAS ARE COMMON AREAS?
>> NO KITCHEN AREAS ARE NOT COMMON AREAS.
AS I SAID OUR SHELTER -- WE'RE BLESSED ENOUGH TO HAVE PEOPLE IN
INDIVIDUAL APARTMENT SETTINGS, WHETHER IT'S 1, 2 OR 3 BEDROOMS
WITH THEIR OWN INDIVIDUAL FAMILIES OR WE MIGHT OF TWO
FAMILIES BUT NEVER MORE THAN 2 FAMILIES IN ONE SHELTER SETTING.
WE DO HAVE TWO SMALLER -- WHAT'S CALLED CONJUGATE SETTINGS, ONE
THAT HAS 6 FAMILIES AND ANOTHER THAT HAS 4 BUT WE ALSO GAVE AN
OPPORTUNITY FOR FAMILIES TO GO TO EXTENDED VISITS WITH FAMILY
MEMBERS SO THAT IF THEY WANTED TO LEAVE AND NOT BE IN THAT
CONJUGATE SETTING, THAT THEY HAD THE ABILITY TO DO THAT.
SO THAT'S STAFF ARE WIPING THINGS DOWN REGULARLY AND RIGHT
NOW WE HAVE NO MORE THAN TWO FAMILIES PER ANY ONE SHELTER
UNIT AND EVERYONE ALWAYS HAS THEIR OWN FAMILY BEDROOMS AND
USUALLY MULTIPLE AT THAT SO I THINK WE'VE MADE THE BEST OF A
DIFFICULT SITUATION.
>> AND NOW THAT SCHOOLS ARE OUT AT LEAST UNTIL APRIL 7TH, YOU
KNOW, THOSE KIDS INSIDE THE SHELTER WITH THEIR FAMILIES,
OBVIOUSLY HAVE TO CONTINUE THAT SCHOOLING, HOW ARE THEY
SUPPORTED OR HOW ARE YOU WORKING WITH THE SCHOOLS TO MAKE SURE
THAT THEY HAVE SOME OF THE RESOURCES THAT THEY NEED TO
CONTINUE THAT EDUCATION?
>> IT'S VERY DIFFERENT IN EACH OF THE DIFFERENT AREAS.
SOME SCHOOLS ARE PROVIDING COMPUTERS FOR THE KIDS TO BE
ABLE TO DO THINGS AT HOME IF THEY NEED THEM.
OTHERS IS PAPER TAKE-HOME ASSIGNMENTS SO WE'RE DOING
THINGS, LIKE, CONTACTING THE FAMILY AND IF THEY NEED ANY
ASSISTANCE WITH THAT WE'RE HELPING VIA PHONE OR CONFERENCE
CALLS SO KIDS CAN KEEP THEIR EDUCATION UP AND IF THEY NEED
ANYTHING WE LET THEM KNOW AND WE PROVIDE THAT AS NEEDED.
AND THEN WE'VE ALSO BEEN PURCHASING GAMES AND PUZZLES AND
THINGS TO HELP KEEP KIDS ALSO INTERACTIVE IS CAPABLE TO DO
THINGS AT HOME SO THEY DON'T GO TOO STIR CRAZY.
>> WHAT HAS THE RESPONSE I'M SORRY FROM FAMILIES AS THESE
MEASURES HAVE BEEN PUT IN PLACE BECAUSE IT'S DIFFICULT FOR
EVERYONE.
>> THE FAMILIES ARE VERY, VERY APPRECIATIVE.
I DO THINK THE KIDS DO GET A BIT RESTLESS THEY'RE ABLE TO CALL MY
MANAGEMENT STAFF AS WELL AS MY SUPERVISORS IN THE SHELTER AND
THEN OUR DIRECT CARE STAFF AND CASE WORKERS ARE WORKING EVERY
DAY.
WE'RE CONSIDERED A PART OF ESSENTIAL PERSONNEL SO IF AN
ADULT OR A CHILD NEEDS SOMETHING, THEN WE'RE ABLE TO
PROVIDE IT AND IF AT ALL POSSIBLE WE DO IT VIA PHONE.
WE'VE DONE CONFERENCE CALLS WITH FAMILY AND WE'RE IN CONSTANT
CONTACT WITH OUR DEPARTMENT AND COMMUNITY HOUSING DEVELOPMENT.
WE'RE ALL WORKING TOGETHER TO GET THROUGH THIS CRISIS AS BEST
AS POSSIBLE.
ALWAYS KEEPING IN MIND THE SAFETY AND WELL-BEING OF OUR
FAMILIES AND OUR STAFF.
>> IS THERE THINGS THAT YOU NEED THAT THE PUBLIC COULD DONATE
WITHIN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.
>> FOLKS WHO WOULD LIKE TO DONATE AT CHD.ORG AND YOU CAN GO
TO MAKE A GIFT.
MONETARY DONATIONS ARE ALWAYS HELPFUL BUT WE CAN ALSO USE
GAMES AND TOYS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE AND I KNOW THEY'RE
SCARCE, CLEANING SUPPLIES, GLOVES, MASKS, TOILET PAPER, YOU
KNOW, SEEMS TO BE ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT ISN'T AVAILABLE IF
YOU HAVE EXTRA AND DONATE TO US.
YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND SEND ME AN EMAIL AT TNICHOLSON@CHD.ORG AND
I CAN MAKE ARRANGEMENTS TO PICK THEM UP OR HAVE THEM DROPPED OFF
AT AN ESSENTIAL LOCATION WHERE WE CAN GET THOSE DISTRIBUTED TO
OUR FAMILIES. ♪