HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF WORCESTER COUNTY RESPONSE TO COVID-19
3-17-2020 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
To Our Local Community,
As a community organization, we feel it is our position as good stewards to keep the health and well being of all members of our community in mind. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, and in keeping with the current regulations mandated by Governor Hogan for the State of Maryland, with guidance from Habitat for Humanity International, the CDC, and internal discussions, the following procedures have been implemented for our ReStore and Habitat affiliate.
Last week we implemented the first phase of our response to COVID-19 which included internal sanitary procedures to mitigate risk for our customers and staff. These measures included team members wearing gloves at all times, the sanitation of all donations prior to their entry into the ReStore building, the sanitation of all public and internal access points several times a day, and the closure of restrooms to the public. We then furthered our measures to include accommodating already-scheduled residential pick ups only if the items were able to be left outside or in an open garage space.
The circumstances surrounding COVID-19 are changing rapidly, and we have made the decision to accelerate our response to the situation. A majority of our team members for the ReStore are part of the at-risk population aged 65+. The health and well being of all of our team members is paramount, as is our desire to help mitigate the COVID-19 risk for the community at large.
Effective immediately, our ReStore will be closed to the public beginning Wednesday, March 18th. Our current plan is to re-open Wednesday, April 8th. This date is subject to change. All donors who have pick-ups scheduled within that timeframe will be contacted to re-schedule. We ask that donors refrain from dropping off items at the ReStore during the closure. Should you need to get in touch with the ReStore during the closure, please email donations@habitatworcester.org.
The decision to close the ReStore will adversely affect our business, and on a larger scale, the work we are able to do within the community. However, we know we are not alone in this, and like many other businesses faced with closure, our hope is that this limited amount of time will serve its purpose and we will be welcoming customers back as soon as possible.
Our Habitat affiliate office is also closed to the public effective Wednesday, March 18th. The affiliate will continue to function on a remote operating basis and will not hold any in-person meetings. We are also suspending our next application round for family programs scheduled to begin April 1, 2020.
During the closure period, we will use our social media to share pertinent information and positive messaging. Please continue to follow both the Habitat for Humanity Worcester County Maryland affiliate Facebook and Instagram pages and the Habitat ReStore Worcester County MD Facebook page for updates as the dates listed in this notice are subject to change.
Best Regards,
Andrea Bowland
Executive Director
