Fort Wayne’s NBC: Several Shelters Established Locally To Help In Different Ways

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (Fort Wayne’s NBC) – The City of Fort Wayne is putting federal funding to use to give some a place to recover should they show symptoms of COVID-19 or be around someone who has.

The City of Fort Wayne will receive $1.7 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. It’s putting the first part of that money to use to help some in the most need. A homeless shelter for women, emergency housing, and a quarantine shelter, are among what’s offered. The exact locations are not available to the public.

City of Fort Wayne Director of Community Development, Cindy Joyner says, “We don’t want them to be targeted potentially, but also, we don’t want any stigmas associated with that particular establishment either.”

Instead, people who will need something like this will be sent.

United Way of Allen County President & CEO, Matthew Purkey says, “All the emergency rooms, and all the physicians offices, along with all nonprofit partners that work with the homeless population have the referral hotline, and they also have the link available.”

Purkey is one of the top organizers for the quarantine shelter the city is providing approximately $200,000 for. He says this will be nicer than many other quarantine shelters.

“The perception is that we are standing up a shelter,” says Purkey. “That is not the case. This is already existing, and is in fact, been in operation already for four weeks.”

While there for two weeks, the focus of the staff will be on the individual who comes in. Also included in the funding are PPE and cleaning supplies.

“Everything is given, from hygiene items, to three square meals a day, to janitorial services,” says Purkey.

While those in there won’t necessarily be showing symptoms, it’s a place to protect them, and others they would be in contact with.

“The quarantine shelter is really designed for those individuals that have either been exposed, or they may actually have the symptoms, but they don’t require hospitalization,” says Joyner.

To take advantage of this service you’ll need a referral from a medical professional or a place that helps people in need like the United Way.