A Bridge House Case Manager (Josh) and Employment Specialist (Rae) help a new trainee get started at its Boulder Ready to Work house.
Among the first grantees of your Community Foundation’s COVID-19 Response Fund Boulder County, Bridge House serves adults experiencing homelessness, providing shelter, meals, and pathways to housing and employment.
“Bridge House will not cease operations during the COVID-19 outbreak,” says CEO Isabel McDevitt. “Our clients and community need our services – now, more than ever. Our basic needs programs are open.”
That said, the organization is modifying its programs according to the evolving situation.
“We’ve instituted new policies for social distancing, and we’re adapting meal service to allow for individual servings,” explains Isabel. “Our Community Table Kitchen is producing three times more meals for people experiencing hunger. And our Ready to Work houses have instituted new policies to ensure safety.”
She adds, “We are very grateful for funding from the Community Foundation’s COVID-19 Response Fund Boulder County. As we’re experiencing a drop in earned revenue through our social enterprises due to closures and stay-at-home orders, this is keeping our essential staff working. It’s allowing us to continue vital services and adapt with ease.”
Specifically, Isabel anticipates that a drop in earned revenue will result in a $40K shortfall in operating funds through April 2020.
“For people experiencing homelessness, this crisis is especially challenging,” she says. “Nevertheless, our clients are resilient.
“Now, more than ever, it’s clear that housing security is fundamental for health and safety for individuals – as well as the whole community.”
According to Isabel, “At this critical juncture, we’re collaborating with our partners through Homeless Services for Boulder County to create a continuum of sheltering options that balance the ongoing need for shelter with procedures and resources to screen for symptoms, and quarantine those who are symptomatic as appropriate in an isolated, medically-supported location.
“We’ll continue to provide sheltering and meals on a walk-up basis with these increased supports, including onsite medical staff to screen for symptoms among our basic needs clients. And we’re expanding meal production in anticipation of more need for food among those experiencing hunger. We recognize that the services we offer to the community, such as access to food, are even more vital at this time.”
She concludes, “Our program staff is also providing much needed support to proactively handle increased anxiety and possible relapse among our clients during this uncertain time.”
Learn more about how our COVID-19 Response Fund Boulder County is serving local residents who are most at risk of the virus, and living in poverty or belonging to an historically underserved population.