COVID-19 and TCAA: What we are doing, and how you can help

In these challenging times, we are all navigating through uncharted waters for ourselves, our loved ones and our community. We hope you are staying healthy and safe.

More than ever, we are committed to the families, adults, and seniors we serve and who are among the most vulnerable in our community. Keeping them, as well as our staff and volunteers safe in this period of uncertainty is of paramount importance.

TCAA is continuing to operate to help ensure the basic and emergency needs of our most vulnerable neighbors can be met as the COVID-19 situation evolves.

Our first concern is the health and safety of our employees, volunteers, clients, and their household members. We are working with our partners to address concerns daily and are closely monitoring information from the CDC, state and county sources to help ensure the actions we are taking are in line with the latest recommendations.

To protect our employees, volunteers, and customers, we are taking the following steps:

1. Requiring face masks for all visitors
2. Increasing the frequency of cleaning and sanitizing of high-traffic, shared, and common areas at our sites
3. Distributing information on illness prevention measures to employees, volunteers, and clients
4. Encouraging employees and volunteers to stay home when ill, when aiding a household member who is ill, or after traveling to affected areas
5. Asking all individuals at TCAA sites to adhere to social distancing guidelines
6. Shifting to phone-based services whenever possible
7. Adding new services and doing more to assist households impacted by the pandemic (click here for details), such as offering more emergency rent/mortgage and utility assistance, particularly for people who experience reduced work hours, health crises, or job loss.

Volunteers play an important role in our work. We are evaluating what changes we need to make in our Volunteer Program as more directives are made at the federal, state and local levels. We are also monitoring volunteer involvement and may be in need of additional volunteers in the very near future. Under normal circumstances, we rely on an average of 20 volunteers to ensure food and shelter services are offered. As demand for TCAA services increases we may reach out to the community to seek additional help. If you are unfamiliar with our volunteer onboarding process, more details are available here.

With the increased need for protective measures and increased demand for basic needs assistance, please consider donating items from our current wish list here. Your generous donations will enable us to better prepare and protect the vast TCAA family. Now more than ever, your financial support is welcomed and greatly appreciated. 

TCAA will keep you updated through this dynamic situation. As circumstances evolve, we will use our website to keep you informed on the impact of the Coronavirus on our operations.

At all times, we remain grounded in our purpose. Our commitment to fostering dignity in the economically vulnerable remains our compass to guide our actions today and always. On behalf of the community we serve, thank you for your support during this time. We simply could not do this work without you.

Sincerely,

Deborah Arteaga 
Executive Director