Update on St. Martin’s Programs Shelters
The past three months have been as challenging and demanding a time as any St. Martin’s Programs have faced in our history. Our staff and volunteers have responded by focusing on the safety and health of the homeless men and women who come to us each day to find food, shelter, and a path to a better life through stable housing.
Moving Clients Out of the Shelters
In early March 2020, St. Martin de Porres Shelter and Lazarus Center moved 30 of our most elderly and medically vulnerable clients into their own motel rooms in downtown Seattle, thus minimizing inherent exposure found in a congregate shelter. That decision turned out to be crucial, as up to this moment, none of these clients have contracted the virus. The motel rooms are being paid for by King County, and we have moved some staff to working at the motel to support our clients.
Temporary Shelters
- King County Airport (now closed) - With the help of King County, St. Martin’s opened a second shelter at the King County Airport. This assisted in thinning out St. Martin de Porres Shelter and Lazarus Center clients so individuals could get at least six feet of separation between their sleeping mats.
- Local Motels - Since that time, St. Martin’s and the Lazarus moved 100 more men and women into motels, allowing us to close the temporary King County Airport shelter. One of the current, temporary shelters is called “Bob G's Shelter". It is named after our late program director Bob Goetschius. Bob G's Shelter houses 60 people from Lazarus Center and St Martin de Porres Shelter.
- Junction Point Shelter, opened 9/21/20 - King County partnered with us in the past weeks to open another new shelter on Elliott Avenue West in Seattle; it is designed to keep all of our residents in separately partitioned sleeping areas to minimize contact. St. Martin’s, Lazarus, the new Junction Point Shelter, and the motels are currently running 24/7, which is an important action to keep our constituents safe and healthy. This rapid response has prevented the virus from impacting our population as it did in the nursing homes.
Good Results
- Giving people private rooms, and more space at the shelter, has enabled us to get the spread of the virus in check.
- We work closely with Public Health and the Seattle Flu Study whose extensive testing and support have also helped to prevent the spread of the virus among our clients and the community.
- St. Martin's Programs staff's absolute dedication to our mission remains intact, even in the face of COVID-19: we continue to transition our clients into permanent housing. Your generous donations allow our staff heroes to continue providing this critical care and service to Seattle’s most vulnerable population.
Recent Seattle Times Articles about St. Martin de Porres Shelter
