VALDOSTA – A local homeless shelter is taking new steps to keep its clients safe and healthy throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Lowndes Associated Ministries to People now offers a mobile shower trailer in front of its facility for residents in its street-outreach program. 

The trailer comes with four stalls and is from South Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church. Yurshema Flanders, shelter director, said the  South Central District Mission Committee of the UMC responded to the request.  

Operational plans include opening the trailer twice a week from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays. A porta-potty sits next to it for residents.

“With the COVID-19, I feel like once we sanitize the building, we have who we have in the building, I didn’t want to keep reintroducing it to people that were not maybe social distancing like they should in not being able to control their environment a little bit of who they’re in contact with,” Flanders said. 

Residents can usually bathe in a shower located in LAMP’s day center, but the center has been shut down since March 16. 

The city sewage department ensured the facility has what it needs for the shower trailer, Flanders said. 

LAMP mandates staff and clients clean their hands at its new hand-washing station inside of the building near the dining hall. 

Like clockwork, staff sanitizes highly touched items such as door knobs hourly, Flanders said.

LAMP currently serves 40 sheltered residents. The residents can travel to a nearby store to purchase necessities twice a day, get prescriptions, go to work and attend appointments. 

They are encouraged to limit how often they leave the shelter. 

“We’re trying to do as much as we can to continue to keep our clients safe,” she said.  

Thanks to Jamie Bone, a LAMP board member, and her family, all clients have masks. 

To follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines and maintain distance, dinner is served at intervals in LAMP’s dining hall providing meals for families with children first. 

An isolated room has been established in case a client shows symptoms of COVID-19, a situation that has so far not occurred in the shelter, Flanders said. 

“We have been very safe,” she said. 

A mind, body and soul room has been created with an elliptical, a yoga mat and soft music for any client who needs to exercise and have alone time.

Administrative staff members work from home and stagger days they come into the office to once or twice a week. Case managers telework and help clients by phone. 

Any staff member inside of the shelter must wear a mask. House supervisors  must keep their office doors closed and only leave the office when necessary. 

Weekly staff meetings take place via Zoom. 

LAMP only accepts new clients from agencies that are conducting COVID-19 screenings. 

Programs still running are those that help residents apply for jobs and housing. Rapid Re-Housing is operating, as well.

Furniture, cleaning supplies, hygiene products, toiletry items and other donated items are being accepted.

Visit lampinc.org, or call (229) 245-7157, for more information.