A Conversation with a Housing Provider on Community Partnerships and Boosters
Q1: What kind of Services do you provide?
A: We provide meals on wheels, USDA food shares, subcontract with our local AAA, and operate four housing locations; three of which are subsidized and two are HUD 202 subsidized units for individuals aged 62 and over and adults with disabilities. Across the four sites, we have 133 residents.
Q2: How did things change during COVID?
A: In early 2020, we connected with CDC and our local hospital infection control department (their lead physician) to make sure we had the information we needed to protect the people we serve. We shifted our recertification for Meals on Wheels to do it by phone and the meals we delivered were left outside the resident’s home in a cooler. We had no physical contact with the community residents.
Q3: As a housing provider, you also serve community residents, tell us about the Home to ME program?
A: When the Meal on Wheels volunteers were delivering meals to seniors in the community and recertifying them for Meals on Wheels, they noticed folks had other basic needs like transportation that were limiting their ability to stay independent. This program was started to connect seniors in the community with other volunteer organizations to help them remain in the community. With the participant’s permission, we can also contact organizations in the community to request to donate material or services.
Q4: What local or national organizations do you partner with to provide the services in the community?
A: We partner with rotary clubs, Coastal Opportunities (an organization that helps adults with intellectual differences to have volunteer work), and the sheriff’s department that helps deliver USDA food shares. We have 50 volunteers for our Meals on Wheels program.
Q5: Did you have a vaccine booster clinic?
A: Yes, worked with Walgreens to set up two clinics in two locations. 85 residents and employees had the booster shots. The response from staff and residents was positive.
Q6: What did you use for signups for your booster clinics?
A: We had a short window (four days) to educate staff and residents on the boosters. We made multiple phone calls and visited residents in their homes to sign them up. We also made fliers and slipped them under the door of our residents.
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