CASPER, Wyo. — The Wyoming Rescue Mission say that they have seen an increased demand for some services among the Casper area’s homeless population amid the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak.
“We are always concerned about the homeless community, and that has only increased during this time,” the mission’s Marketing & Events Manager Jenny Stedillie said in an email on Friday, April 17. “That increased concern is why we have been so proactive with implementing best practices of health and sanitation procedures in our facilities.”
“Think about what your ‘stay at home’ situation looks like for you and your family. The homeless have no ‘stay at home’ option, because they have no homes. We’re it; the mission is their home.”
The mission has increased their overall number of meals served by 61% amid the crisis and have seen a 41% increase in the number of homeless veterans sheltered and a 12% increase in the number of women sheltered.
There has also been a 46% increase in the number of guests with mental illnesses, according to Stedillie.
“We currently have 120 homeless men, women and children who depend upon the mission for shelter, safety, food and hygienic needs,” she added.
While the number of homeless women and veterans seeking assitance at the shelter has increased, the mission continues to help guests transition toward their own housing.
“With the assistance from our case management team, our numbers
have dropped a little over the last couple weeks, as guests have been able to move into their own housing,” Stedille said.
Stedillie says that the mission has seen support from the community in the form of food and monetary donations.
“Thanks to our generous community and its support of our food requests and needs, monetary donations truly are what we need so that we can cover the excess of our new operational standards due to COVID-19,” she said.
However, the Rescue Treasures Thrift Store operated by the mission has seen a 60% drop in revenues. Stedillie said that the store has taken about a $175,000 loss, adding that the mission relies on thrift store revenue to cover about one-third of the costs associated with supporting their guests.
The mission has been taking precautions to protect against the spread of COVID-19 while continuing to provide needed services. Some who have stayed at the mission have gone to a Westwood “community medical shelter” to receive testing for the virus, according to the Casper-Natrona County Health Department (CNCHD).
The Westwood facility provides a place for people to stay while they await COVID-19 testing results so that they can be kept isolated during that period in case they are carrying the virus.
“The people awaiting test results were experiencing symptoms and met the testing criteria set out by the Wyoming Department of Health,” CNCHD Public Information Officer Haiiley Bloom said in an email Thursday. “As of right now, no one who has stayed at the Westwood facility have had positive tests. All individuals have been released back to their homes, mission, etc. following receiving negative test results.”
“No one awaiting testing is at the mission. Anyone pending test results that is homeless, unstably housed or otherwise unable to self isolate, is safely isolated at the Westwood facility until test results are confirmed.”
The health department has also worked with the mission to ensure that they have COVID-19 safety plans in place.
“Everyone entering the Mission, including current and new guests, volunteers, staff, media, donors or otherwise, are health screened in the foyer prior to being allowed admittance into the building,” Stedillie says.
That includes taking the temperature of anyone coming to the mission to screen for fever and a set of questions about symptoms including whether someone has experienced “new or worsening cough” or shortness of breath. People are also asked to indicate where they have been recently and whether they have been in contact with someone who has COVID-19.
“Any guests who exhibit potential symptoms are taken to a staffed medical shelter by Casper-Natrona County Health Department staff, where they are tested and stay until the Health Department receives their testing results,” Stedillie said. “Any staff, volunteers, etc. who exhibit potential symptoms are urged to go — and stay — home and contact their healthcare provider.”
Guests staying at the mission are asked to remain on premises as much as possible, though some have jobs they need to go to.
“We have hand sanitizer and have posted recommended health and hygiene signage all over the building,” Stedillie adds. “Staff routinely clean surfaces. Also, there is frequent education about the virus, how it spreads, ways guests can mitigate it by not touching their faces, washing their hands, etc. We also ask everyone to wear masks and maintain distance from others.”
“Since the beginning of this, we have continued to work closely and frequently with the health department, which says we are doing everything that is recommended very well. We’ve been inspected by the county health offficer, who has been instrumental in helping us develop our process, which we began very early on.”
