LUBBOCK, Texas — Local nonprofit Open Door is taking precautions to keep the homeless population that it serves safe against the coronavirus.
Chad Wheeler, the executive director of Open Door, said it is following standards set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and urging its homeless residents to take precautions.
“We’re really encouraging people, wash your hands,” he said. “If you’re sick, stay in one part of the building. If you are, you know, your normal routine is to eat and chat it up with people around the table, just give yourself some more distance right now.”
Wheeler said his organization has been doing extra cleaning and have encouraged its volunteers to stay at home to stop the spread of the virus.
He said the best way to help homeless organizations at this time is to make donations.
Open Door resident Willie Price said he and others who are homeless are at high risk to exposure to the virus.
“We go to different places like the library, we go to churches to eat so we are more in contact with more people that may be sick and may be in contact with it already,” said Price.
He said that since he heard of the dangers of the virus, he’s taken precautions to protect himself.
“I don’t shake hands with people, I’d rather give them a fist bump than shaking hands, I don’t do hugs anymore. ”