Well-Wishes Letter Writing Campaign.
“Stay home. Wash your hands. Be safe.”
This is not an option for unsheltered neighbors during the COVID-19 outbreak. People experiencing homelessness are exceptionally vulnerable to the virus and its complications. Living in crowded shelters, transmission of the illness can happen very quickly. Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program (BHCHP) is working in close collaboration with shelter and hospital partners, the City, and the State to enact a swift, comprehensive and multi-faceted response. There are countless health professionals working tirelessly around the clock, but the need is great.
Dr. Jessie Gaeta, BHCHP’s chief medical officer, recently described the scene in an interview with WBUR:
So when people are coming into the front door of a shelter, there can be bunches of people. And we try really hard to ask people to keep distance. And it’s hard for everyone. I was just thinking about the fact that we tested about 400 people last Thursday and Friday in shelter. And to do that, we set up three testing tents, and we got really efficient with the paperwork and the procedure itself… And it was raining on Thursday and it was actually terrible outside. And these folks were lined up. In some cases it was, you know, many people lined up and trying to space out. So the line looked like it was a couple blocks long.
The Life on Albany Committee has worked closely with the folks at the homeless shelters around the corner from our campus for several years, so we reached out to see how we could assist in their efforts. And their request is simple, share hope.
We can do that.
We are asking for volunteers to write letters of encouragement and well-being to clients of the Woods-Mullen and Southhampden Shelters. And, since we miss seeing everyone, the Activist Lab is hosting two virtual Letter Writing Parties, on Friday, May 1 and May 8, so we can swap ideas and get creative together. There are so many folks utilizing the shelters right now and we want to reach as many as possible, so we ask that each volunteer write at least five letters and send them in a single envelope on or before the deadline of May 30. We are asking everyone interested in participating to please sign up so we can track how many letters are being written. Here are all the details you need to get started including some “dos and don’ts” for the content of your letter and where to send it.
If you have questions, please email Tara O’Connor.