Dear Helping Up Mission Family –
At Helping Up Mission (HUM), we understand the concern and uncertainty many are experiencing surrounding the Coronavirus (COVID-19). I want you to know the health and well-being of our clients, our staff, volunteers, on-site partners, and visitors are top priorities. Our board and senior leaders, staff, and community partners are committed to being responsive to their needs as this ever-changing situation evolves.
While we deeply value each volunteer, visitor and community partner who come to our facilities to care for the men and women in our care, health and safety in this environment must take precedence.
Therefore, effective immediately we are suspending all non-essential volunteers, visitors and external meetings held at our facilities, effective immediately through May 31st.
We are closely monitoring updates from both from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and MD Department of Health (DOH), along with input from our HUM Medical Committee, which includes our clinical providers Greater Baltimore Medical Center Health Partners, and Johns Hopkins University (Cornerstone Clinic)
Each of our departments, and particularly our Program/Operations team, are coordinating and implementing a response plan to minimize the impact on services delivered to the men and women we serve. Some immediate action steps we are implementing include (but not limited to):
- Providing primary care of our clients and residential alumni, and addressing individual medical needs, none of which has been deemed COVID-19 infectious
- Adopting a “touch-free” greeting on campus, particularly for chapel, graduation services and any other large events.
- Our Operations team is also taking proactive steps to procure additional materials and supplies to ensure we have more than typical inventory of food, toiletries, and cleaning supplies on-hand in the event there are any supply chain disruptions.
This is a time for us all to rally together to serve and protect each other from this virus and maintain the focus in providing life-saving and transforming care for the 540 men and women with us who desperately need our help.
