One North Carolina shelter is trying to adapt so it can keep serving up to 150 meals a day during the coronavirus pandemic.
9,314 people experienced homelessness on any given day last year, according to the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness. The community center has already seen an increase in visitors during mealtimes.
The coronavirus pandemic has ground many of these services to a halt. But Haywood is determined to continue offering essential services, including food, a place to wash up and computers so people can stay connected to the rest of the world. Those characteristics include living in crowded shelters — which makes it impossible for people to practice social distancing, even when they feel sick — as well as the inability to sanitize by taking showers and a lack of access to nutritious foods.
Until more federal funding becomes available, state and county leaders are helping homeless people and other vulnerable communities on an ad hoc basis. In North Carolina, shelters have spent the last week desperately trying to coordinate and figure out best practices, said Denise Neunaber, executive director at the North Carolina Coalition to End Homelessness.
“Communities are trying to figure out who are the populations that need things, and shelters are trying to figure out how they can stay open 24 hours a day, especially if we need to shelter in place,” Neunaber said.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Shelter in place, stay at home, quarantine: What do coronavirus restrictions mean?In an effort to combat the coronavirus pandemic, governors in Connecticut, Illinois and New York announced executive orders on Friday requiring all nonessential workers to stay home as much as possible — a day after California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a similar order requiring all nonessential workers
Read more »
Right now, truck stops are some of America's most 'essential businesses'Trucks stops across the US are open for business -- and they're planning to stay that way.
Read more »
Restaurants get creative amid coronavirusRethink Food NYC Inc. launched an emergency food program called Restaurant Response, where up to 30 neighborhood restaurants can apply to receive $40,000 to stay open.
Read more »
Crowds packed California beaches despite shelter in place orderPeople descended on California beaches, hiking trails and parks over the weekend in open defiance of a state order to shelter in place and avoid close contact with others.
Read more »
Abbey Clancy poses for Mother's Day shoot with daughter and says 'stay at home'The mum-of-four recent posed for pictures with her eldest daughter but acknowledged that Mother's Day was going to be a difficult time for families who couldn't see each other
Read more »
Are liquor stores open during coronavirus? New York says liquor stores are 'essential,' can stay openThe Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America has urged governors 'to keep wine and spirits retailers open as to not encourage bad actors to pop-up black market liquor operations.'
Read more »