The reality of dense, communal living in shelters puts people who need them at constant risk for Covid-19 and other serious communicable diseases. Given a population rife with underlying health conditions and a propensity to share everything (food, water bottles, cigarettes etc.) swift transmission that would spread to the wider community is inevitable without constant mitigation.

 

We Take Action

 

In September of 2022, we received a grant from the New Jersey Department of Health to lessen the impact of COVID-19 on our overburdened shelters and we hit the ground running to partner with shelter providers and those working with the unsheltered across New Jersey.

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• We proactively help facilities control infection with the latest COVID-19 prevention and mitigation strategies, increased testing and PPE availability and use

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• We regularly convene shelter providers to share practiced wisdom and strategies for disease mitigation

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• We share evidence-based protocols and guidance

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• We provide resources for wrap-around services for isolation, quarantine, shelter, food and other needs

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• We distribute funding for staffing to shelters to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19

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• We build bridges of communication between shelter providers and their Local Health Departments

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