If you’ve followed PACEM since March 2020 then you know the extraordinary measures we’ve taken to keep our homeless guests sheltered. 9 months is longer than our normal shelter season yet we are still providing a version of it to almost 70 men and women at a nearby hotel. In addition to providing evening staffing, our case management team works closely with the hotel guests to regularly evaluate their stays and identify and attack obstacles to housing.
The hotel is likely to remain an option well into the new year. However, the hotel is not an option for folks who are not Tier 1 medically vulnerable according to CDC guidelines.
As a result, we have opened congregate shelter for homeless individuals that are not Tier 1 from November through March. Because of the pandemic and social distancing restrictions, we will only be able to shelter 25 men and 10 women a night at most at any one facility.
ORDER PACEM’s 2021 BIRD CALENDAR! All proceeds benefit our women’s shelter.
Congregate shelter looks a lot different than it did a year ago. Safety measures like masks and sanitizing stations, and, most significantly, social distancing, has a dramatic impact on our ability to shelter. Volunteer interaction–a bedrock of PACEM’s services–is severely restricted. Even so, we strive to offer a warm and welcoming safe space for those impacted by homelessness.
If you would like to find out how you can become part of our effort to offer congregate shelter please email volunteer@pacemshelter.org. If you have any questions about any of the above, please contact Jayson Whitehead. And please stay safe!