Bloomington charities and organizations are continuing to serve the community, especially those experiencing homeless.
“Homeless shelters tend to be quite close quarters,” New Hope Family Shelter Director Emily Pike said. “We want to do everything we can to protect this already vulnerable population.”
At least 30 cases of the coronavirus have been reported in Monroe County as of Tuesday afternoon. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people experiencing homelessness are at risk of contracting the coronavirus. Bloomington charities and organizations are helping by opening an isolation shelter and offering COVID-19 screenings and donations to protect people in need.
Friend’s Place sheltered 229 homeless people in 2018, according to the Shalom Community Center’s 2018 annual report. A homeless isolation shelter on West Hillside Drive is set to open later this week and is waiting for approval from the Bloomington Fire Department, Pike said. Several local charities helped create and supply the shelter, including the New Hope Family Shelter, Shalom Community Center, Middle Way House, Wheeler Mission, Hoosier Hills Food Bank, United Way of Monroe County and the Monroe County Health Department.
“This is part of our fundamental commitment to our community,” Pike said.
Pike said the isolation shelter still needs laundry soap, prepackaged food, razors, tissues and over-the-counter cold and flu medicine. Donations can be sent to the Shalom Center or the New Hope Family Shelter with a note saying they are intended for the isolation shelter.
The Community Kitchen of Monroe County Inc. is helping with the isolation shelter by providing lunch and dinner. Executive Director Vicki Pierce said the dining room isn’t open, but people can come pick up a carry-out box.
Pierce said Community Kitchen added a free service to deliver meals to chronically ill people and homebound seniors who are clients through IU Health Positive Link or Area 10 Agency on Aging. She said there are about 35 people on the delivery route. Drivers have no interaction with clients because they leave the food on the porch.
“It's kind of a shift in focus in the sense of trying to meet more emergent needs as they present themselves,” Pierce said.
The Community Kitchen is not accepting volunteers due to the Gov. Eric Holcomb’s stay-at-home order. If people want to help, Pierce said the best way is to donate money rather than food.
The Shalom Community Center and its overnight shelter A Friend’s Place are taking extra precautions. Executive director Forrest Gilmore said people experiencing homelessness are especially at risk to contract the virus.
All those who enter the Shalom Community Center facilities will be screened for COVID-19 and required to wear a mask, Gilmore said. At Friend’s Place, there are quarantine spaces for those showing symptoms. He said the center has not encountered any diagnosed cases so far.
“We're fearful that that could happen at any moment and are trying to prepare as best we can,” Gilmore said.
Gilmore said the Shalom Community Center is working to find a larger space for the overnight shelter. He said there are 40 beds, but the shelter is almost at capacity.
Wheeler Mission is a homeless shelter with multiple Bloomington locations, including the Center for Women and Children, located on South Opportunity Lane, and the Center for Men, located on South Westplex Avenue.
The shelter is expanding its facilities to house more people, said Chris-Michael Morrison, Director of Advancement for Bloomington.
“We've really taken a good deal of preventative measures already,” Morrison said.
A heated tent was donated by Master Rental Center and installed in the parking lot of the Center for Men to expand operations and accommodate 36 more people. The Center for Men opened a new building last year that serves at-risk men over 60.
“That really alleviated the burden that is placed on our Center for Men’s building,” Morrison said.
Guests can use hand-washing stations upon entering either location. They are screened for COVID-19 twice a day, and Wheeler Mission staff members will start checking guests’ temperature.
Hoosier Hills Food Bank is a hub that provides food to other charities, pantries and kitchens. Director of Development and Administration Jake Bruner said Hoosier Hills is experiencing an influx of need in the six counties it serves. Bruner said staff members want to limit in-person contact, so organizations must contact the food bank to set up an appointment.
“We're prepared and ready to respond,” Bruner said.
Bruner said the food bank is trying to raise funds to continue buying large amounts of food. He said it’s focusing on supplying staple food items such as peanut butter, cereal and pasta.
