Care during crisis: Vulnerable Torres Shelter guests settle into motel rooms, shelter-in-place during COVID-19 pandemic
Donn talks about how our staff has helped him and his partner, Tangye. They moved into a local motel room this month as part of Project Roomkey, protecting our community's vulnerable homeless population during the COVID-19 pandemic.
When Torres Community Shelter guest Tangye walked into her Chico motel room on Monday (April 6), she peered into the restroom and let out a shriek of glee.
She turned toward her partner, Donn, her face lighting up with excitement, and exclaimed, “Ooh! There’s a tub!”
Donn joked: “I won’t see her for the next two hours.”
The couple have stayed with the Torres Shelter for several different periods of time in the past three years. This Monday, they checked into a motel room, where they’ll be staying and sheltering in place during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tangye is 65 and has kidney disease, she shared, and both she and Donn have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
“It’ll make all the difference,” she said, especially when it comes to her stress-level and physical health.
They aren’t the only ones moving out of the shelter: That day, a total of 26 of the Torres Shelter’s guests who are 65 and older and/or medically fragile moved into a local motel room.
This new program, part of Project Roomkey, is possible due to state funding and a partnership between True North Housing Alliance and the Butte County Department of Employment and Social Services.
The county received approximately $473,000 from the state in order to work with Butte County homeless service providers to offer such vital emergency solutions to those who are unhoused and unsheltered in Butte County.
True North’s goal is to protect the vulnerable Butte County homeless population during this pandemic by providing vital supplies, services and non-congregate shelter.
Sandy prepares to move into a motel room on Monday (April 6), part of True North’s efforts to keep the Butte County community’s vulnerable homeless population safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The big move
Earlier that day, staff helped guests gather their belongings and secure medications, prepping for the move.
Sandy, a 66-year-old guest who has been diagnosed with COPD and diabetes, sat outside enjoying the sunshine, wearing her protective mask while she waited to be transported to her hotel room. Sandy said she was both relieved and excited for what came next.
She knew she was in good hands because of her history with the shelter. She’s a recovering addict, she said, and shared that since she’s been at the Torres Shelter for the past year, she’s stayed sober.
“I was shattered when I got here,” she said. “I love the Torres Shelter. … Everybody treats me with respect.”
She added that she couldn’t wait to have a TV and a coffee pot, and was grateful to be going to an even safer environment during this pandemic.
A safe distance away from Sandy, Thomas awaited the move, as well. Thomas, who is 53 years old and oxygen-dependent due to COPD and emphysema, said he was grateful to be moving to a place that would pose less of a risk to his health.
“The episodes I have … it’s like a fish out of water,” he said. “I need somebody around me all the time because when they happen, I lose mental function, I lose control of my body, and I just collapse.”
Staff assisted guests like Sandy and Thomas that day by loading and unloading their belongings. For guests with mobility challenges, they made sure they were safe and comfortable for the ride over to the motel.
Matt Reed, True North Housing Alliance’s interim executive director, spent much of the day driving guests from the shelter to their motel rooms and working with other staff members to help people move-in and get settled.
Reed was particularly inspired by the work of one shelter guest. This man was not moving into a room, but volunteered to help and worked hard the entire day, loading and unloading people’s belongings. He made sure another guest, Robert, a 71-year-old blind man, was comfortable and had everything he needed.
After he’d moved in, Robert said he was thrilled to have his own space, because it is easier for him to manage without roommates, and he was grateful to the staff for listening to his concerns.
Glenn gets comfortable in his motel room. He moved in on Monday (April 6) as a part of a True North Housing Alliance program designed to keep the Butte County homeless population safe during COVID-19 pandemic.
Settling in
Guests staying at motels will receive the same services that staff provide at the Torres Shelter: wraparound case management and around-the-clock supervision. Additional services include access to telehealth care, health care referrals, site management (including monitoring and cleaning services), and security. They also will receive three meals a day, provided by the Jesus Center.
After a long day spent transporting guests and helping them move into their rooms, Reed said the tremendous effort went smoothly, and everyone came together, both guests and staff, “as one community, one team.”
“The guests that went with that initial fear of the unknown were, at the end of the day, all very comfortable,” he said. “Everyone was very happy, thankful and grateful. It was one of those things that made you feel good despite what's going on right now.”
Glenn was one of the guests who, early in the day, was uncertain about the new setup or what to expect. He’s 61 and uses a wheelchair often due to his prosthesis—he lost a leg due to complications from diabetes. At the shelter, the staff have been very nice and helpful, he said, and he’s had a good experience there, even when experiencing health issues.
Still, he wasn’t expecting the accommodations he received, he said. His room is fully Americans with Disabilities Act-accessible, and includes a TV, comfortable bed, dresser, closet and fridge, which is important for storing his insulin.
He was looking forward to ordering some pizza that evening, and unpacking his things.
“I can’t believe that I’m put up in this,” he said. “I just am really happy about it.”
“This means a lot,” he continued. “I don’t have to worry.”
How to help:
Want to support True North Housing Alliance’s guests? Please consider a monetary donation, or supplies of coloring books, puzzles and other items that can keep guests occupied as they shelter in place.