Journey Home Friends,
We are pleased to report that our first shelter guest who tested positive COVID-19 was quarantined in the hotel for more than 14 days and is no longer symptomatic. No other shelter clients in any shelter or who are now at hotels have tested positive for COVID-19. We may never know how many cases of COVID-19 have been prevented and lives saved by having this client isolated at the hotel.
Unfortunately, as expected, we have still seen an increase in COVID-19 cases among the larger group of Coordinated Access Network agencies and clients. Five staff from shelter, housing, and soup kitchens have tested positive for COVID-19 and are quarantined at home, three clients in housing programs have tested positive for COVID-19 and are quarantined at home, and two unsheltered clients have tested positive for COVID-19 and have been quarantined at an isolation site. In the midst of all of this, Journey Home and our partner agencies are continuing our response to this pandemic in important ways.
We continue to work with our community partners each and every day to face these challenges head on. We would like to once again recognize all of our partners who deserve thanks for the work that they have been doing:
Thank you to the City of Hartford and to Hartford Healthcare for providing mobile mass testing so that everyone at one of the shelters could be tested for COVID-19
Thank you to Community Housing Advocates/Mercy Housing and Shelter Corporation for working with the CT Department of Housing on repurposing $60,000 of HUD funding for additional rental assistance to help more people out of shelters and hotels to get permanent housing
Thank you to Hartford Foundation for Public Giving for a $150,000 grant that will provide flexible support for various expenses required as the Coordinated Access Network manages the efforts to maintain the safety of homeless persons across the shelter system
Thank you to Partnership for Strong Communities for making over $2,000 of funding available for supplies to each of the 7 Coordinated Access Networks in our state.
Thank you to Max Restaurant Group and Savoy Pizza who delivered pizzas to the Hartford Warming Center
Thank you to Vans Shoes for the donation of 150 pairs of brand new sneakers for those experiencing homelessness
Thank you to all of our friends and supporters who have donated money or supplies
As usual, there are many others who have helped in so many ways, and we apologize for not naming them all here, but will do our best to acknowledge them as soon as we can.
With deep gratitude,
Matt and the Journey Home team