MUSKEGON, MI – Two months ago, Alisha Poland, Ronald Monczuski, and their baby daughter found themselves at Family Promise of the Lakeshore, a local nonprofit that connects homeless families with churches that provide shelter and support.

Then, in the midst of their personal upheaval, the Poland-Monczuski family was moved from their shelter at First Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1206 Whitehall Rd., and into the Family Promise administrative offices. It was yet another consequence of the near-universal upheaval communities are facing in trying to quell the spread of novel coronavirus.

This adjustment, and changes at other homeless services providers across the Muskegon area, highlight how difficult it is to follow a “stay-at-home” order for people who don’t have permanent housing – and the extra risk that they may face during destabilizing times.

“Living here, we want to get back up on our feet, but we can’t, with everything shut down,” said Poland.

Family Promise, 2160 Crozier Ave., began planning for ramped-up action against COVID-19 about a month ago, said Marian McDermed, the organization’s director. Sending families to churches could expose the group’s volunteers, many of whom are over the age of 60, McDermed said. So they established a “housing-in-place” plan inside their offices.

“So the families are staying here, 24/7,” she said. “They don’t leave.”

Two families now reside, quarantine-style, inside the Family Promise offices. Three children – Skarlett Monczuski, a rambunctious 21-month-old, and 3- and 5-year-olds – and their parents follow a chore list and share one bathroom. A conference room has been converted into a dining room, library and play space.

“Kids can run around in the parking lot or across the alley in a little playground, but for the most part, they’re inside,” said McDermed.

One day, the weather was nice enough for some outside play, and Skarlett was so excited to leave the building that she immediately took a spill on the asphalt, her mother said.

“She is very energetic, can’t sit still, so being in here is very hard for her,” Poland said.

Volunteers from the former host churches drop off meals. And for the most part, Poland and Monczuski stay busy by playing games and cards and watching TV, they said. But while they feel cooped up during this period of self-isolation, there is also a larger sense of being stuck in their circumstances.

“I’ve got multiple, medical appointments that I have had to cancel,” Poland said. “My medical issues are the reason why we are in this situation, living at Family Promise. It’s really hard not being able to get what we need to get done to get back on our feet.”

Across the county, the COVID-19 pandemic is forcing homeless service providers to adjust their approach to aiding clients who are at special risk.

Shelters, by definition, congregate groups of people in small spaces. Those who rotate between the couches of family and friends are forced to be more mobile, not less.

And low-income workers may be the most at-risk of losing their jobs during a crisis, which exacerbates their need, said Melissa Boughner, director of development at the Muskegon Rescue Mission.

“The population that we serve, they’re the ones with second- and third-shift, minimum wage jobs,” Boughner said. “They’re the ones at most risk because they’re the first to be let go during a situation like this.”

The Rescue Mission currently has 80 men in its men’s shelter, and about 45 women and children at its family shelter, unusually high numbers for springtime, she said. Some people are sleeping on cots and sleeping bags, because there aren’t enough beds.

“Our biggest thing is, we see a lot of single parents that have to choose between day care or a roof over (their) head and food on the table for (their) kids,” said Boughner.

Every Woman’s Place, which operates a shelter for domestic violence survivors, has limited new guests from coming in, which poses unique challenges for people who are at-risk of violence in their homes during a “stay-at-home” order, said Anje Banks, the organization’s program director.

To that end, EWP has implemented a new chatline on its website and a confidential text line for people in need of services.

“(The shutdown) definitely will increase the need for our services…which is part of why we’re staying open and trying to make our services available to them,” said Banks. “People are unable to reach out in the ways they usually would.”

The organization can still assist with removing people from violent homes right now, but interactions with people at home have decreased, Banks said.

“It doesn’t mean the need’s not there, there’s just less ability to access our services in the way they usually would,” said Banks. “Sometimes the only safe way is to see us in person. There’s a little more of that control being placed on them.”

At the Rescue Mission, all clients get matched to a primary care provider even during ordinary times; now they’re also being screened for possible infection, at which point they would be placed into quarantine, Broughton said.

Because the Rescue Mission has had to close its thrift stores – a major revenue stream for the organization – those staffers have been repurposed at the shelters, providing extra cleaning services.

Schools being shuttered means that homeless children don’t have the structure of school, said Boughner. The organization is trying to maintain normalcy despite this, she added, giving kids time at their on-site playground and playroom.

“They don’t know what’s going on, they just think mom is home longer with them,” Boughner said.

None of the service providers that spoke with MLive have clients who present symptoms of COVID-19. But they have had to develop plans for if the virus enters their shelters. Each have set up quarantine spaces, and increased their usual cleaning routines.

In some ways, this new challenge has also been an opportunity for community members to step up, said the Rescue Mission’s Boughner. She said a chef from Maranatha Bible and Missionary Conference prepared 40 turkeys for the shelter’s guests, for example.

“Everyone is so overwhelmed by the stories of love from the community,” Boughner said. “We have never closed our doors, because our community seems to excel in giving when it comes to hard times like this.”

Still, at Family Promise, where the Poland-Monczuski family sleep in an office-turned-shelter, there’s also some concern that financial donations will decrease as people’s paychecks are cut and community gatherings, including church services where collections plates are filled, are canceled.

“Twenty-five percent of our income comes from churches,” said McDermed. “Churches aren’t meeting anymore. So what do you do? We’re holding it together with bobby bins and baling wire.

“And we’re not the only nonprofit that’s like that,” she added. “Every single nonprofit in our community is doing it.”

MLive multimedia specialist Alison Zywicki contributed to this report.

CORONAVIRUS PREVENTION TIPS

In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Carry hand sanitizer with you, and use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home ( door handles, faucets, countertops ) and when you go into places like stores.

Read all of MLive’s coverage on the coronavirus at mlive.com/coronavirus.

Additional information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.

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