Sheltering in Place Update

Successfully avoiding any COVID cases since the beginning of the pandemic, the Eugene Mission was well prepared when COVID cases finally showed up at our door. When cases were diagnosed last week, we quickly implemented the COVID emergency planning protocols we had hoped never to use - but were thankful to have prepared in advance. Here’s what we did immediately:
• Restricted the Mission campus to staff and current guests only. Guests will stay on campus, undergoing monitoring and retesting, until specific benchmarks are met.
• Began immediate contact tracing using our internal tracking systems. Guests who are at risk, as well as staff who had been in contact with affected guests, are now in isolation. They will be tested and cleared before they may return.
• Committed to transparency, we quickly notified the media and developed internal communications alerting and updating guests, staff and volunteers.
Executive Director, Sheryl Balthrop provides an update regarding our Covid-19 response.
Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.
[Psalm 31:24]
And, of course, we’re continuing with our comprehensive COVID deterrence measures, which include screening of guests and staff, rigorous sanitation measures, hand-washing, mask wearing, and the re-purposing of space for safe social distancing.
We thank the community for the support you’ve shown the Eugene Mission for 60 years as we protect the public while continuing to care for and provide services to our guests. With your support, our guests have a safe place to recover and rebuild and they are not out in the community exposed to and possibly spreading the virus.
Prior to this event, the Eugene Mission had already set up an outdoor contactless donation site. We are still taking donations as usual and have implemented careful procedures to ensure the safety of our guests, staff, and the community whose donations help us keep our doors open.
Learn More & Support:
Website: eugenemission.org
Volunteer: [e-mail]
Tour: [e-mail]
Monthly E-News: eugenemission.org/newsletter
Stay Connected:
Instagram: @theeugenemission
Facebook: @theeugenemission
Twitter: @eugene_mission
Tik Tok: @eugene.mission
We are not a homeless shelter in the traditional sense. While we certainly provide our guests with food and shelter - and do so with an abundance of God’s love - the Eugene Mission’s ultimate goal is to provide holistic long-term solutions that lead to the long term wellness of our guests in Eugene/Springfield.