KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Hope Faith Ministries will turn its warehouse into a warming center as part of its efforts to continue serving the Kansas City metro's homeless population throughout the winter.
"A third of our guests are newly homeless," Jaysen Van Sickle, Faith Hope Ministries executive director, said. "So since March, we've had nearly 6,000 undocumented guests we've never had in our system before."
The Hope Faith staff has stayed on its toes throughout the spring and summer, creating an outdoor "village" for their clients while welcoming even more people struggling through the COVID-19 pandemic. And as they prepare for winter, the need is more critical now than in the beginning of the pandemic.
In addition to its warehouse, Hope Faith will set up a heating system for each of its outdoor tents.
Everything will remain outside, and people still will be able to receive a hot meal and take a shower.
During the pandemic, Hope Faith secured a counselor who works clients suffering from depression and heightened mental illness issues.
"Until we have an all-clear, until we see vaccines readily available, we're going to have to continue to hold this line because those experiencing homeless need us even more than they have before," Van Sickle said.
Flu season also is coming on top of COVID-19, and Hope Faith is teaming with other organizations helping the homeless to provide free flu shots. Heart to Heart International has partnered with Hope Faith since the beginning of the pandemic to provide medical services.
On Tuesday the Hope Bus went to City Union Mission, where 100 flu shots were scheduled.
"I think we recognize that a lot of the Hope Faith guests, they're also City Union guests, they're also ReStart guests," Chris Stout, Hope Faith director of programs, said. "They go in between different organizations, so our ultimate goal is to keep everybody healthy and safe."
Wanda McBride, a registered nurse at City Union Mission, said they know people have a lot on their minds right now.
"They've been through a lot," McBride said. "They're coming in from the cold. Things are going on in their lives. It's just a constant reminder to hit the pump, do the hand washing, stay hydrated."
Van Sickle said right now is not the time to give in to COVID fatigue.
"We're still here," Van Sickle said. "It's hard to remind people that this is still out there. We're still seeing an increase. We remain vigilant with everything. We're still healthy because we continue to take those precautions."
