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Dear Friends,

On June 29, 2020, UMD was notified that a resident of our emergency shelter who had been hospitalized had tested positive for COVID-19, the illness resulting from the novel coronavirus. That client remains in the hospital. Since learning of this test result, we have worked with Durham County public health officials and Duke medical staff to test other residents and all staff. Two additional residents, who are asymptomatic, have now tested positive for COVID-19 and have been moved to an isolation location as required. Public health officials are conducting contact tracing. All UMD shelter staff have tested negative. As a precaution, Duke medical staff will perform follow-up testing of shelter residents and staff later this week and are offering testing to volunteers who want it.

I want to assure you and all our stakeholders that UMD is taking every step recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local authorities to contain the spread of illness.

Since early March, we have worked closely with Durham County government leaders, public health officials and emergency operations to respond effectively to COVID-19.  We have implemented mask-wearing, regular temperature checks, new cleaning procedures and modified services to protect the well-being of clients, staff and volunteers. These measures have included converting meal service from congregate dining to takeout only and moving shelter residents to temporary quarters at a hotel so they could better adhere to social distancing. UMD thanks the Durham County Commissioners for approving funding for this relocation and the Marriott at Research Triangle Park for hosting clients and shelter staff. The county’s contract with the Marriott-RTP ends July 9, and UMD residents will be returning to campus tomorrow, July 8.

New challenges

When residents return, UMD’s shelter will be limited to 83 beds, rather than 149, due to the ongoing need to ensure social distancing. To address this dramatic reduction in spots, we are appealing to supporters to offer clients temporary or permanent rental opportunities and/or to donate beds and linens so shelter residents have a place to sleep when they do move out. UMD is also seeking contributions to Project ROOF (Removing Obstacles to Occupancy Funds), which will help shelter residents exit to housing more quickly by paying for expenses like rental deposits, first month’s rent and utility hook-ups. Donations to this initiative can be made on our website. Please include “ROOF” in the dedication field. You can learn more about all of these opportunities to make a difference by visiting our home page.

In addition to this appeal, UMD is working with Durham County officials to secure a second location for emergency shelter for medically fragile residents and others who cannot be accommodated due to reduced capacity. We are ready to provide offsite staffing and services, which include case management, workforce development, referral to other needed care and three free meals a day.

We will continue to provide you with updates on important developments related to COVID-19 via emails like this, our website and social media channels. We know that Durham has been identified as a ‘county of concern’ for COVID-19 spread and are focused on maintaining as safe an environment as possible. This will enable UMD to continue offering food, shelter and a future to neighbors in need. Thanks so much for your confidence and ongoing support.

With gratitude,

Sheldon Mitchell, Executive Director

“Help wanted.” It’s not roadside Sharpie scrawl on discarded cardboard, but corporate lettering on official promotional signage nestled among holiday decorations. Businesses are hiring, but just for “the season.” It’s almost hard to remember that ‘Black Friday’ is about profit margins for the year rather than risking a black eye from an early morning brawl for the latest “it” toy or heavily discounted television. Cramming in the need to make it financially for the year in a matter of weeks is big business that means extra help at the checkout counter, the customer service help desk, on the stock floor, or driving the delivery truck. These temporary hires are supposedly what help keep us consumers happy, and they’re the elves that keep Santa (and CEOs) in business. All of this extra movement of people and goods is part of the “bustle” of our holidays. And this year, the labor market needs a lot more workers to make the holidays happen.

But there is quite the bustle here at UMD too. Close to 30% of our Workforce Clients who have an over-the-table job are currently involved in this “seasonal work.” Wake-up times are set throughout the early morning hours for workers to make their way from the homeless shelter to work. While they must skip hot breakfast served in the Café at 8am, clients can pick up to-go lunch bags or reserve a late plate for dinner before boarding GoTriangle’s earliest buses. And for some, those meals are extra precious when they have to spend what little they have to catch an Uber because bus schedules or routes don’t meet their needs.

While clients are fatigued by early rising or working double or even triple shifts, many are also energized by these opportunities. Excited to finally land a job after working on résumés and applications with our Workforce Development team, they are hoping that this temporary work gives them a chance to prove their worth or establish much-needed work history. For others, it is a difficult step down from once holding a steady job that gave meaning and identity but is crucial to getting a foot in the door.  At a minimum, such an audition can enable them to become “qualified” for entry-level work, rather than being dismissed as “overqualified.”

But all of our clients are left to wonder what the end of the season will bring. Was all the hustle and bustle, grinning and grunting worth their sweat? Did less than $15 an hour working around the clock bring in what they need to be able to exit into permanent housing? How will they manage the money they’ve earned, weighing the desire to participate in the holidays by spending money on themselves or others vs. saving for a future that feels distant and unsustainable? Will they get a chance to remain on the job after they’ve proven themselves, or were they just expendable parts needed temporarily to power an outsized commercial machine—a machine which we are often complicit in with or without our awareness?

These questions are uncomfortable to sit with. And certainly that much more difficult to square with vulnerable people eager for employment and hoping to find dignity in their work. Imagine and dream with us about what a hopeful future could look like. Can you envision a world where more individuals could secure a job or pursue a career that excited them beyond a paycheck? A society where all workers felt assured that the money they brought home was “enough” to provide for the basics? What changes and priority shifting would it take for us to make strides toward an economy where all workers were encouraged to reach their full potential? Is this even a shared dream? Difficult questions to ponder. But they’re definitely on our mind this holiday season.