Health concerns at Waupaca’s warming center
By Angie Landsverk
Wilma Akright is working to figure out how Foundations for Living can safely open its warming center for the season in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“There’s just so many issues. We just don’t know what we’re going to do,” she said.
Akright is the organization’s executive director.
Foundations for Living (FFL) is located at 1421 Churchill St., in Waupaca.
It opens its warming center for the winter season on Nov. 1 and closes it on April 30.
The center is normally open from 7 p.m. until 7:30 a.m. the next day.
Among the issues facing the center are how to physically distance the guests who stay there and what to do if one of them tests positive for the virus.
Challenges finding volunteers
Yet another issue is having enough volunteers at the center.
“When the pandemic hit, our first reaction was how to protect the people taking care of them (the guests),” Akright said.
Last spring, the volunteer base quickly dropped from around 50 people to just a handful.
She said the majority of their active volunteers are over age 65.
They are often recently retired, healthy and have more time to volunteer, Akright said.
Last spring, FFL’s initial reaction was to tell everyone over 65 to stay home, she said.
That was an attempt to not put any of them at risk, Akright said.
She said volunteers not only help at the warming center, but in FFL’s office and store as well.
Long hours for volunteers
When the warming center is open, two volunteers are needed during the hospitality time, which is from 7-10:30 p.m.
Two other volunteers are needed to stay overnight with the guests from 10 p.m. until 7:30 a.m. the following day.
The maximum number of guests the center may have is eight.
Last March, there were six regular guests staying there.
“When it (the pandemic) hit, we talked to the city,” Akright said. “Everything closed.”
They did not want to put people out on the street during the day.
As a result, the center was open 24/7 during that time.
Akright was working between 60 and 80 hours a week, because someone had to be there all the time.
“Our few younger volunteers pitched in,” she said.
Among them was Michael Hall.
“He spent hours and hours here,” Akright said. “During the work day, we also needed help, because we were trying to move people forward.”
Moving forward
From mid-March on, FFL did not accept any new guests at the warming center.
The focus was to spend time talking to each of their guests to find out what they needed to become successful.
“We’re not just trying to house people. We’re trying to help move people forward,” she said.
Akright said that “by the end of May, we had found jobs and housing for everyone in the center.”
Going into the center’s next season, they hoped things would be back to normal, she said.
Since that is not the case, FFL officials are meeting with city officials and leaders via Zoom.
“We’re trying to come up with a plan – what to do if we get an influx, if people do get evicted,” Akright said.
The warming center is one large room, which means it does not have a separate space to isolate guests if they were to test positive for COVID-19.
“What we did last spring was every time a guest left the grounds and when they returned, we checked their temperature. We didn’t have any problems,” Akright said.
In preparation for this season, dividers were purchased to place between the beds, providing physical distancing.
Akright is seeking ideas about what FFL should do if it opens the warming center and a guest tests positive for the virus.
One idea is to raise funds that could be used to rent a room at a hotel.
“The other issue is there are still volunteers not willing to come back,” Akright said.
Funds could also be used to supplement the volunteers, she said.
Akright said the third issue is where guests would be able to go during the day.
The public library and rec center have capacity limits.
“We thought maybe churches could be available one day per week for a warming space,” she said. “What do we do with our neighbors who are out on the street?”
Akright said homelessness looks different in Waupaca County.
She describes it as people being temporarily displaced.
Some couch surf, and some stay at a hotel temporarily.
Others stay in cars or in a tent or camper in the backyard of someone they know.
Akright noted another issue is related to the city being the county seat.
There is a constant flow of people getting released from jail, with some not having any place to go.
FFL also sees people who age out of foster care with no support system and no where to go, she said.
Those who have ideas for the center’s upcoming season or want to share financial resources may call FFL at 715-942-2725.
“The idea is not just to open, but to care for people,” Akright said. “We want to help them move forward. At the same time, we don’t know how to do it safely.”