ORLANDO, Fla. – Orlando city leaders on Monday approved $95,000 in funding to help protect one of the community's most vulnerable populations during the coronavirus pandemic.
- Orlando leaders approve funding to help city's homeless population
- Salvation Army has been providing a 24/7 emergency shelter
- The funding will keep the shelter going for 90 days
The Salvation Army has been providing a 24/7 emergency shelter during the coronavirus outbreak, giving the homeless a safe place to stay. They take the temperature of those staying at the 50-bed shelter daily to ensure that people inside aren't sick and potentially spreading the coronavirus to others.
At the shelter, they're providing regular meals as well as hygiene kits and offering daily showers. It's been busy, with the shelter operating at full capacity for three weeks.
John Vogt is homeless and has been staying here for the past few weeks, since the day the shelter opened up. He says it's a big relief having somewhere safe to stay during the coronavirus. Without it, he'd have nowhere else to go.
“They’re giving us shelter during this crisis that’s going on. They’ve got like 50 beds in here, six feet apart. They’re feeding us breakfast, lunch and dinner, very accommodating. The Salvation Army has saved a lot of people here,” Vogt said.
The $95,000 approved by the Community Redevelopment Authority for the Salvation Army is part of a years-old agreement between the CRA and Salvation Army to help provide needed services to the homeless.
The funding will keep the emergency shelter going for 90 days.
If you'd like to donate, head to https://salvationarmyflorida.org/Orlando/.