Soldiers Field clubhouse being used for overflow as more people seek overnight shelter
Amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, the Rochester Community Warming Center is ramping up its efforts to ensure individuals facing homelessness have a safe place to stay overnight.
In recent nights, the number of people seeking shelter has climbed to 37, the highest it has been all season. In response, the Center has activated the Soldiers Field clubhouse as a temporary shelter.
Cathy Hunsaker, the Center’s night manager, said Wednesday the Soldiers Field site will likely continue to be used in the coming weeks, especially given Dorothy Day House’s decision to close beginning Friday.
Dorothy Day provides beds for up to 23 individuals per night. A manager told us this afternoon that the House made the difficult decision to close in response to concerns over the spread of COVID-19.
The shelter will remain closed for a minimum of two weeks. During that time, the House will direct people to the Warming Center.
Guests being screened at the door
While the Warming Center plans to remain open, Hunsaker said it has begun taking additional measures to protect its staff, volunteers and clients. The Center is now screening all guests as they come in for symptoms of the virus (including taking their temperature). Staff have also changed the Center’s food policy to prevent guests from handling food.
All the while, Hunsaker said, the Center is “trying to keep everything as stable and normal as possible for our guests.”
Additionally, in an effort to encourage social distancing, the Center has started limiting the number of guests at its Fourth Street location to 25. The Center could originally accommodate around 30 guests per night.
“We have reduced the number of guests at the Center, and increased the number of guests we can take at the overflow site,” said Hunsaker. “This allows us to handle the increase of new guests we are seeing while also providing more space between individuals.”
Hunsaker said conversations are happening now about what clients can do during the day while many public places — including restaurants, coffee shops and the library — remain closed.
Among the ideas being discussed: redirecting staff whose jobs are affected by the pandemic to begin working with vulnerable individuals by day.
“There just aren’t many options for them right now,” said Hunsaker.
Sean Baker is a Rochester journalist and the founder of Med City Beat.
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