Circle of Hope COVID-19 Response Report
At Circle of Hope, we have pivoted to supply homeless families and individuals with the soap, PPE, hygiene supplies, and essential new clothing they need to stay safe and healthy during the COVID-19 crisis. As we continue physically distancing, we want to keep you up to date on our COVID-19 relief efforts. To read our full report of Circle of Hope's COVID-19 response so far, please click on the button below. If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us via email!
COVID-19 Updates from COH - May 2020
Circle of Hope staff and volunteers have continued contactless emergency deliveries of toiletries, hand soap, masks, and other essentials to our partner shelters. Click here for more information and other updates from Circle of Hope.
COVID-19 Update
Closure Extended
Given the ongoing crisis, Circle of Hope is not able to accept donations of gently used clothing at this time. We will continue monitoring the situation and updating you via email, social media, and our website.
From the Executive Director
Dear friends,
Eleven years ago, I couldn’t foresee building Circle of Hope on a public health foundation would be so impactful. Now, we pivot, creating novel ways to safely distance while intimately caring for homeless infants, children, and adults. Turns out, we’ve already been agility training for COVID-19 with our Emergency Response Program. We mobilize our action team offering protection in a time of unprecedented crisis. Our donors, supporters, and volunteers are compassionate, generous, and resilient.
Ron Suskind's “A Hope in the Unseen” is not only a favorite inspiration on my book shelf. It’s what we hold for our most vulnerable neighbors who need and deserve our care, now, more than ever.
Thank you for being the light and hope.
With profound gratitude and hope,
Barbara
Now More Than Ever
Now more than ever, homeless individuals need your help. With higher rates of chronic health conditions like heart disease and diabetes, the people we serve are higher risk for coronavirus. They need clean clothing, bedding, toiletries, shoes, and hand soap to stay healthy and safe during this crisis. Thousands of people will continue to rely on Circle of Hope for these vital donations even after the crisis has passed.
Please help us bring health and hope to homeless children, women, and men by purchasing a "ticket" to our "Virtual HOPE Blooms." Amplify your impact by making an additional donation to our Fund-A-Need. To learn more and donate, click the link below.
From the Operations Manager
To all the Circle of Hope volunteers, drivers and donors-
I hope you and your families are healthy and staying safe. I miss you all! I miss connecting each week. I miss the conversations, the smiles and the laughter that comes through the door each day at Circle of Hope.
During the past few weeks, I have had so much time to reflect and think about how lucky I am to spend each day with you. I am so grateful for your dedication, energy, positivity and empathy. It is your enthusiasm and can-do attitude that make each week a success at Circle of Hope. Thank you!
And, I have so much hope for the day that we welcome you back. We are working hard on our end with plans to move forward so we can get back to helping those individuals and families that need us most. We can assure you that your health and safety, along with those we serve, are our top priority.
Please feel free to reach out and continue to connect and check in on one another. This is one of the many things I love about Circle of Hope. I am looking forward to seeing you all soon.
Be well,
Jody
Soap and Hope
Giving soap during a pandemic does much more than wash hands. New socks and underwear protect health and dignity like never before. A raincoat is a shield against a day outdoors waiting for a shelter bed. Distancing is not an option for families in shelters. As we stay apart in our homes, we’re protecting countless people, among them the vulnerable homeless infants, children, and adults seeking safety in shelters.
While COH’s door is closed, our staff and volunteers are at work. Two homeless newborns who left the hospital as COVID-19 spread are now sleeping in new porta-cribs and have fully stocked Welcome Baby Bags we delivered to the shelter. Since closing, we brought 400 pump soaps, 800 toiletries, and 300 new pairs of underwear and socks to homeless adults in shelters, at Boston Healthcare for the Homeless Program, and families in shelter. From our stocked shelves we gave 100 coats, 200 pairs of pants, and 300 shirts to homeless adults, 200 toiletry items to the Boston Police Department, and enough new socks, underwear, clothing, and coats for 50 children staying in family shelters.
We come together differently now to bring hope and health. Our team works to strategically deploy vital supplies, while protecting ourselves, our families, and the people we serve.
Thank you for helping us protect and preserve health, hope, and dignity during this crisis.
Stay Home. Stay Healthy. Share HOPE.
Circle of Hope is committed to the health and well-being of homeless individuals. We are also committed to you, our supporters. Given the uncertainties of the COVID-19 virus, we have decided to cancel our HOPE Blooms event on May 2nd.
HOPE Blooms is our single largest fundraiser. Last year we provided clothing and necessities to 8,000 homeless individuals and families. To ensure Circle of Hope is able to continue to meet the needs of those we serve, during this crisis and throughout the year, we ask that you please support our "Virtual HOPE Blooms" through the purchase of a "ticket."
Thank you.
Temporarily Closed Due to Coronavirus
Dear Friends of Circle of Hope,
We continue closely monitoring the outbreak of COVID-19 (coronavirus) in our area. We are deeply concerned about homeless families and individuals, most of whom are considered "high risk" for coronavirus due to underlying health conditions or close proximity to others in shelter. Circle of Hope sent extra hand soap to our partner shelters for more than a month to reduce the spread of the virus and keep this vulnerable population healthy.
To protect homeless individuals as well as our volunteers, donors, and staff, Circle of Hope is now closed to the public. We cannot accept clothing donations at this time.
The staff is working strategically behind the scenes to continue to help the vulnerable families and individuals we serve in our partner shelters and clinics. We will continue monitoring recommendations from the CDC and state officials and we look forward to re-opening for donation drop-offs when it is safer to do so. Please keep an eye on your email inbox, social media, and our website for further updates from Circle of Hope.
In the meantime, please know how deeply grateful I am to you for your support and dedication to our mission. You have made it possible for us to respond to emergencies and provide additional soap and toiletries during this crisis. Thanks to you, we have provided enough clothing and necessities to our partner shelters to get them through the next month.
I am constantly inspired by your unwavering generosity, compassion, and dedication to helping people who are homeless. Thank you.
Most gratefully,
Barbara Waterhouse, Executive Director
Homeless individuals at "heightened risk"
There are currently at least 92 cases of COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, in Massachusetts, and Governor Baker declared a state of emergency yesterday. People staying in homeless shelters are at "heightened risk" of contracting this potentially deadly illness.
COVID-19 spreads quickly among people in close proximity to each other. Circle of Hope's partner shelters house between 20-400 individuals every night.
With higher rates of chronic health conditions like diabetes and heart disease, the homeless people we serve are at greater risk of getting severely ill, requiring hospitalization, or dying from COVID-19. People over 60 and those with underlying health conditions are considered most at-risk.
"I'm very worried right now about vulnerable populations," said Helen Branswell, an infectious disease and public health reporter for STAT. "I'm worried about people who stay in homeless shelters."
Our partner shelters are taking steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19 by frequently cleaning and disinfecting surfaces and educating their clients about the illness. Circle of Hope is sending an extra supply of hand soap and towels to protect homeless families and individuals during this public health crisis. As Branswell said,
"...this is a time when we're really going to need to help each other."
URGENT need for hand soap
Please help us protect homeless families and individuals
Our partner shelters desperately need liquid hand soap to help prevent the spread of illness during the current public health crisis. Our usual suppliers have increased their prices and store shelves are emptying rapidly.
Please help us protect homeless individuals from illness by donating new, unopened bottles of liquid hand soap (any size) as soon as possible. Please place your donations of soap into the small rolling cart labeled "Go-To Crew" and tell a volunteer you are donating soap.
Can’t make it to the store? Ship soap and hand towels directly to Circle of Hope through our Emergency Response Wish List on Amazon. To view the list and purchase items, click here.
New Clinic Partnerships
Circle of Hope is expanding its health clinic partnerships! Already this year, we launched new pilot partnerships with two healthcare centers serving homeless individuals: Bowdoin Health Center in Dorchester and the Dimock Center in Roxbury.
We made our first delivery to Bowdoin Health Center in early January, bringing six Welcome Baby Bags and infant clothing to the homeless newborns receiving care. A mom with newborn twins was overjoyed and especially grateful for the warm blankets because the shelter rooms are so cold. We are working closely with the Community Health Workers to help homeless infants thrive in their early months and monitor the success of the Pilot Program over the next six months.
Our first delivery to the Dimock Center took place in early February. We provided clothing, toiletries, and Welcome Baby items to their "Women's Renewal - Clinical Stabilization Services" program. By providing essentials for health and dignity, we help homeless women who are recovering from substance use disorders, mental health disorders, and trauma. After our first delivery, a clinician at the Dimock Center said:
"Words cannot express how thankful we are for your contribution. You went over the top and for that we thank you as well as from the clients. Thank you does not cover it."
We're excited to partner with these two healthcare clinics and we're proud to serve more women and infants who are homeless and need our help.
February 2020 News
Circle of Hope’s February newsletter is out! Click here to read about our new partnerships, our Amazon Winter Wish List, and other exciting updates from COH.
