We’re Here for You: Bridge Disability Ministries’ Response to Coronavirus
The Coronavirus, and the social distancing required to slow its spread, have caused feelings of anxiety and loneliness for many people in our area. This is particularly true for people with disabilities, many of whom fall into a high-risk group and began quarantine before most members of the general population. Increased uncertainty and diminished social contact make the need for services that address isolation among people with disabilities greater than ever before.
We’re here to help
Because all three of our programs reflect Bridge’s mission to alleviate isolation among people with disabilities, we feel that our organization has a unique role to play during this crisis. Over the last week, Bridge staff and board members have engaged in planning a direct response to the issues created by the Coronavirus and built strategies for continuing our life-giving work during the period of social distancing.
The MMEC
To help people obtain their equipment in as safe a manner as possible, we have expanded its delivery service to include smaller items and moved all other distribution to parking lot pickup. Orders that meet our minimum requirements will be delivered within a ten-mile radius of either Tukwila or Bellevue locations. Those with smaller orders will have their freshly sanitized equipment brought out and loaded by MMEC staff without ever stepping foot out of their vehicles.
Along with the MMEC’s standard cleaning procedures, staff will now use a medical-grade sanitizer to clean the delivery van and wash their own hands between each customer contact.
Spiritual Connections
Because the bulk of Spiritual Connection’s ministry comes in the form of in-person events, staff at this program have been particularly inventive in finding ways to reach out and connect with people in quarantine. We’re still working on implementation for these plans, but the list of items in the works includes,
- Phone “visitation” to those in quarantine, practicing social distancing, or who are experiencing symptoms;
- Care packages for our Friends;
- Connecting the people we serve with online services offered by members of the Beacon Church Initiative;
- A community prayer journal, to be posted online.
For updates on these services, please keep your eye on this blog or follow us on Facebook.
Guardianship
Our case managers and certified professional guardians have been interfacing with care staff, doctors, and our clients themselves to ensure that they remain up to date on the status of every adult under their care. For the safety of clients and staff alike, we have transferred all client visitation to video chat, allowing our guardians to assess their clients visually and providing clients with one more friendly, familiar face during a disruptive and anxiety provoking time.
Our Commitment to You
Bridge’s commitment to our mission, to alleviate isolation among people with disabilities and enrich our communities and churches, has only been strengthened by recent events. Our services, which allow people to safely navigate their homes, provide human connection to those facing loneliness and isolation, and provide indispensable assistance to developmentally disabled adults, have never been more critical. Today, we make a solemn promise to our community that we will continue to work towards that goal, innovating to make our services compatible with social distancing and redoubling our efforts in this time of trial.
As always, thank you for your continued support. We will get through this together.
Categorised in: Coronavirus Response, COVID-19, Guardianship, MMEC, News, Spiritual Connections