HOPE in The Midst of Uncertainty
Loisann’s Hope House was founded on the certainty of HOPE in the midst of darkness – and that’s exactly what we’re doing now. As COVID-19 impacts communities around the country, we continue to foster a culture of caring, while ensuring the safety of the children and families we serve in the greater Fredericksburg region.
Loisann’s Hope House has implemented many safety strategies to ensure our residents and staff remains safe and healthy during this time, to include:
- Our family homeless shelter continues to operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, providing a safe and stable place for families to reside in during this time of uncertainty.
- Shelter residents are practicing social distancing, and frequent hand washing techniques. All residents have been encouraged to avoid gatherings of more than 10 people, as per Governor Northam’s orders. The facilities are being cleaned and sanitized on a regular basis to limit the spread of germs and prevent infection.
- A separate building has been isolated for the use of quarantine, given the circumstance that one of our residents becomes ill.
- To limit the amount of staff on-site, our team of Housing Counselors is working remotely and conducting case management services virtually to maintain high levels of service and interaction with clients during this time. While this has been a transition, our staff has been working diligently to identify any service gaps or needs households may have and address them quickly.
- Our Homelessness Helpline continues to operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for any person who is experiencing a housing crisis during this time. We encourage members of our community to reach out if they are in need of connection to services at 540-358-5801.
- We continue to work with other community agencies and state and federal partners to develop strategies to serve those who are experiencing or at-risk of homelessness. As resources become available, we will update our community.
Many of the people we serve both in shelter, and the community at-large, have been impacted by COVID-19. This includes losing employment, food insecurity and having difficulty with monthly expenses.
We are thankful to each of you for the many in-kind and monetary donations used to serve some of the most vulnerable members of our community. Your continued support is needed and helps instill HOPE in the families and children we serve.