Coronavirus could hit homeless especially hard. But here’s how you can help
Thousands of Americans experience homelessness each year, and public health experts say these populations are among the most vulnerable amid the spread of the coronavirus.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has since provided key steps that local and state health departments, as well as homeless outreach services, agencies and the public can take in helping the homeless amid the pandemic.
By Monday afternoon, the U.S. had nearly 762,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus and more than 40,700 deaths, according to a Johns Hopkins University database.
In Georgia, the Atlanta Mission is taking every precaution as it continues to serve the “more than 600 individuals who are currently residing in our shelters,” its website states. Because services to the homeless are often provided in “congregate settings,” the risk of spreading a disease like COVID-19 is exacerbated, according to the CDC.
The Atlanta Mission, which offers help to thousands of men, women and children across Atlanta, has halted volunteering at its facilities for the foreseeable future, but is still taking donations of essential items.
According to the organization’s website, it’s most in need of cleaning supplies, hand soaps and sanitizer. Nonperishable food items, packaged meats and kiddie snacks are also needed, along with gently used clothing and bottled water.
The United Way of Southeast Mississippi is also taking up donations for a relief fund that will aid low-income families impacted financially by COVID-19.
The nearby Edwards Street Fellowship Center in Hattiesburg also has extended its food pantry hours from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday and Friday, its website states. Its thrift store is closed, but is still accepting donations that are left curbside.
Some Goodwill organizations have closed donation drop-offs, however, and The Salvation Army has limited the number of volunteers coming into facilities to help mitigate the spread of coronavirus, according to updates posted on both of the charities’ web pages. The restrictions have left many wondering what is the best way to help those in need.
Monetary donations are always welcomed, and several charities have online portals where do-gooders can contribute.
For those looking to donate clothing, shoes, toys and other items, the CDC says that’s okay -- so long as “general infection control protocols” are taken by volunteer workers and staff.
Homeless service providers are encouraged to “launder donated clothing, sheets, towels, or other fabrics on high heat settings, and disinfect items that are nonporous,” including items made from plastic, according to the health agency. In the case of donated food items, those should be shelf-stable and non-perishable.
Like much of the public, service providers are advised to maintain a distance of at least 6 feet from others, wash their hands with soap and water, and wipe down surfaces frequently.
So far, it’s not recommended that homeless shelters “screen incoming guests for COVID-19 using laboratory tests,” according to the CDC.
The CDC adds that those experiencing homelessness tend to be older and have underlying health conditions. Preventative measures put in place to slow the spread of the virus may prove harder for homeless populations to follow, however, that doesn’t mean they’re completely without help or protection.