Connection Homeless Shelter takes COVID precautions

The homeless population is one of the most at risk populations. A North Platte homeless shelter is doing what they can to keep their residents safe during the COVID pandemic.

Connection Homeless Shelter is not taking new residents to keep everyone who is there healthy. They created isolation rooms for at risk clients and anyone who may show symptoms. Residents temperature and symptoms are screened twice a day.

The Connection moved their community meals to take out. To receive food people stand outside 15 minutes before meal time and the food will be brought out to them. Residents use social distancing at the meals prepared by staff as volunteers are not being used at this time.

Ashley Lewis, the Executive Director of The Connection, says shes positive about the future.

"I have an amazing board of directors, there is a lot of support in our community, its quite incredible to see how people have come together recently to deal with this in so many different facets. I feel that as a community we're gonna get through this together and there is a recognition that the homeless population is at risk and there are people who are willing to do what they need to do to make sure they get the services that they need," said Lewis.

They closed their Thrift Connection store to protect employees but have two people still there accepting donations. They're also doing online sales.

"The homeless population is one of the most at risk populations simply because of lack of access to medical care and nowhere to go to isolate or quarantine. They move around a lot so they're exposed a lot. So I think it's really important that we try our hardest to educate and to put put rules into place that can help make sure they're safe here or safe wherever they're at," said Lewis.