GLIDE's Response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19)

GLIDE’s Response to Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Below you will find updates on the steps GLIDE is taking during the current public health emergency, beginning with the most recent, as well as links to other useful information and community resources. Please help in sharing information of benefit to the health of the community.

Resources

March 26, 2020

GLIDE Continues to Provide Essential Services to San Francisco’s Most Vulnerable Residents During Coronavirus Crisis

Advocates for Moving Swiftly, Collectively and with Determination to Help the Homeless Population

In the face of the Coronavirus pandemic, GLIDE continues to adapt to the ever-changing landscape to provide free, hot meals and other essential services to vulnerable residents in San Francisco’s Tenderloin community. Owing to the citywide need to lower the community spread of coronavirus, GLIDE has adjusted some of its operations to maintain essential services while protecting the health and safety of its clients, staff and the general public.

In an op-ed published in today’s San Francisco Chronicle, “Coronavirus pandemic: What we must do for the homeless,”GLIDE Foundation CEO Karen Hanrahan is also advocating for a comprehensive and coordinated plan, led by the City, that will leverage service providers and community partners to take collective and necessary steps to mitigate the spread of the virus throughout our homeless communities. Hanrahan lays out an initial five-point plan and also calls for collective and creative thinking about we can go beyond mitigation of the coronavirus and design sustainable solutions toward ending homelessness.

“We urgently need a more expansive and comprehensive plan, led by the City, that harnesses collective resources and action to prevent, screen, test and contain the spread of the coronavirus, as well as provide rigorous and humane care for the inevitable onslaught of cases in homeless communities. We know we cannot rely on the Federal government for this leadership. San Francisco must lead the way,” said Hanrahan. “The only way to ensure that each of us is protected is to ensure that all of us are protected.”

Earlier this month, GLIDE closed its dining rooms and moved GLIDE’s Daily Free Meals program outside, utilizing takeout containers. This week, operating without the help of volunteers and with a smaller staff, GLIDE and nearby community partner St. Anthony’s have pooled valuable resources so that GLIDE can continue to deliver hot, nutritious breakfast and dinner, while St. Anthony’s (150 Golden Gate) will serve lunch. GLIDE’s Walk-In Center services continue via a triage desk in the lobby to avoid congregating in the building. GLIDE’s Harm Reduction Services has paused offsite HIV/Hep C testing events (to avoid congregating) in favor of 1:1 testing, while Syringe Access Services continues. GLIDE Church’s Celebration Online continues Sundays at 9:00 & 11:00 am via Facebook live through April 30.

GLIDE afterschool and childcare programs at its Family, Youth and Childcare Center (FYCC) at 434 Ellis Street have closed through May 1 in conjunction with the closure of schools by the San Francisco Unified School District. GLIDE’s Women’s Center, Men in Progress program, Volunteer Program, Recovery Circle, Legal Clinic, and Senior Social are all paused through April 30.

As GLIDE’s volunteer program is paused until further notice, the most impactful way that the public can help is by making a donation to help support GLIDE’s efforts on behalf of the community.

March 16, 2020

Following a preventative re-sanitizing of our premises over the weekend (Friday through Sunday), GLIDE today reopened its main facility at 330 Ellis Street and continues its essential services to the community.

GLIDE has adjusted its operations during the coronavirus (COVID-19) emergency in order to avoid large gatherings and increase social distancing while continuing to serve those in need. Even as the City’s “shelter in place” order goes into effect on March 17, GLIDE will continue to provide essential services to the community. In an effort to protect the community, the staff and those who rely on GLIDE’s services, the following adjustments are in effect:

— GLIDE’s Daily Free Meals program is temporarily utilizing takeout containers to deliver hot and nutritious meals three times daily.

— Walk-In Center services, including shelter bed reservations, continue via a triage desk in the lobby to avoid congregating in the building.

— Harm Reduction Services has paused offsite HIV/Hep C testing events (to avoid congregating) in favor of 1:1 testing, while Syringe Access Services continues.

— GLIDE Church’s Celebration Online continues Sundays at 9:00 & 11:00 am through April, per the Public Health Order issued March 13 by the Health Officer of the City and County of San Francisco prohibiting all non-essential events of 100 or more persons.

— We have also temporarily closed the Janice Mirikitani Family, Youth and Childcare Center (FYCC) at 434 Ellis Street, following the decision by the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) to close San Francisco schools for the next three weeks. FYCC has accordingly paused its afterschool and childcare programs through April 3, the duration of the school closures.

We continue to closely monitor the evolving situation and will keep you updated as any necessary further adjustments are made.

March 13, 2020

Dear Community,

Beginning today (March 13), GLIDE is temporarily pausing its services for 3 days in order to conduct a precautionary facilities deep cleaning to further protect public health.

We are taking this step in an abundance of caution, given the current public health crisis. GLIDE is temporarily closing its physical doors at 330 Ellis Street through the weekend, and re-opening on Monday morning in order to conduct a preventative deep cleaning of its facilities.

GLIDE is working with community partners to ensure that San Francisco’s most vulnerable continue getting the services they need.

At the same time, Thursday’s decision by the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) to close San Francisco schools for the next three weeks means that GLIDE’s Janice Mirikitani Family, Youth and Childcare Center (at 434 Ellis Street) will follow suit, as we had previously prepared to do in that contingency, and close its operations beginning Friday, March 13, through April 3 (the duration of the school closures).

We take this step with the health and safety of our clients, staff and the general public foremost in mind, and we thank you for your understanding and patience at this time.

You will find further updates on this and related processes in our response to the current health emergency.

Download Resources | Descargar recursos

SFUSD guide to Free Meals Available During School Closure

Emergency Child Care through SF Dept. of Children, Youth & Their Families

March 11, 2020

Dear GLIDE Friends, Family and Colleagues,

The most important thing that GLIDE can do right now, our greatest act of care in this moment, is to focus our efforts on limiting exposure and reducing the risk of transmission of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

Our number one priority is to protect our entire community, including our staff and those we serve every day. Fortunately, at this time, we are able to do that while still providing essential services to those most in need.

We continue to take proactive steps, in line with recommendations and guidelines issued by health experts and in coordination with other community-based organizations, to maintain our critical services to the community while realizing every precaution to reduce the risk of exposure to our clients, staff and the general public.

As the situation evolves in the coming days and weeks, we will send further updates on the status of our operations on behalf of the community.

Here are the steps we are currently taking:

Sunday Celebration has temporarily moved to an online experience.

– We will be holding our Sunday Celebrations this week and next (March 15 and March 22) online only. We ask that you join us for Sunday Celebration through GLIDE’s Facebook Livestream page only. If you would like to be added to our Church email list for Church-specific updates, please sign up here.
– For our unsheltered neighbors who are used to gathering for simulcast Celebrations in Freedom Hall, we will be with them curbside at Taylor Gate, offering connection, safety information, hot coffee and danishes, and community.

Our Volunteer Program is temporarily paused.

– We are pausing our request for volunteers until March 20, to be evaluated each week thereafter.

Other program modifications, effective immediately, are as follows.

Daily Free Meals

– We continue to offer three meals daily. We have modified our service to provide to-go meals only, and have temporarily closed our dining rooms.

Walk-In Center

– Shelter bed reservations continue through GLIDE but to avoid congregating in the building we are managing reservations from a triage desk in the lobby. The desk is also handling quick transactional services (such as dispensing hygiene kits). Clients who need more involved services will pass to the Walk-In Center offices for one-on-one support.

Harm Reduction

– All off-site testing events have been paused to avoid crowding, in favor of one-by-one testing. Syringe Access Services continue onsite as a vital preventative service continuity. Outreach continues as well, with outreach workers ready to distribute extra antiseptic towelettes.

Childcare

– Our Family, Youth and Childcare Center (FYCC), located in its own secure building on Ellis St., is operating in very close coordination with the City’s Department of Children, Youth and Their Families (DCYF) and other relevant agencies. We have prepared plans to deal with contingencies, including hard-working and extremely-low-income parents who have to work even when they are under the weather and may wish to drop their children off at FYCC (which will not be allowed).

Sanitation and cleaning

– Two handwashing stations are being placed in GLIDE’s parking lot to serve guests of the Daily Free Meals program temporarily situated outside.
– Extra janitorial shifts and deep cleanings to sanitize the premises have been established for GLIDE’s two buildings and their immediate surroundings.

Community Safety Team

– We are increasing trainings and review for our frontline Community Safety staff so that they can most effectively and humanely respond to clients in crisis.

Staff health and wellbeing

– GLIDE has modified our human resource policies to ensure the safety, health and wellbeing of our staff and their families.

Ways you can help
Stay informed, take the recommended precautions to keep yourself and your community safe, and stay involved!

Please also consider making a gift to GLIDE today to ensure we can continue to care for those most in need while working to prevent the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).

In gratitude,

Karen J. Hanrahan
President and Chief Executive Officer, GLIDE Foundation