Actions We’re Taking Around the Cornavirus

While we do have a thorough sanitation and prevention plan already in place year-round, CASS has ramped up our prevention efforts in many ways in response to Covid-19 based on recommendations from the Center for Disease Control (CDC). We are also working closely with the Human Service Campus (HSC) Council and also paying close attention to the preparation and activities being done by other homeless shelters around the country.

Below is a brief outline of some of our activities:

Giving all staff and clients information and instructions on the measures to take to best prevent getting the virus, posting information throughout the shelter, along with hand cleaning materials and reminders to wash their hands.

Holding shelter staff meetings daily to keep staff updated and address concerns.

In addition to maintaining our daily cleaning schedules with heavy duty disinfectants, we are also doing the following:

• Hourly or more often sterilizing wipe downs at the shelter intake where 470 people enter daily.
• Doing a client prevention briefing in person upon entry, as well as giving them written information about the virus and how to prevent it.
• Asking clients upon entry to immediately wash their hands.
• Increased availability of hand sanitizer dispensers.
• Increase distances between beds where possible.

CASS has an EMT available on our campus 24 hours a day who are available to see any client who requests their services. If a client presents with severe flu-like symptoms (as outlined in the link above), our staff will call the Campus EMT immediately (or 911 as needed).

We are coordinating directly with the Maricopa County Public Health Department in our planning and will continue to do so throughout this process.

If you’re in a situation to financially support CASS at this time, we would greatly appreciate your donations. There are some projects, such as deep cleaning, that may be costly additions to our already tight budget.

We are thankful to all of you, our donors and supporters, who are thinking of us at this time. We will do all we can here at CASS but we hope you will also do all you can to protect yourselves as well!

If you have any questions or concerns, please let us know.