COVID-19: Impact on FBMS Operations

How You Can Help

During this crisis, more than 250 individuals and 130 families continue to rely on our shelters every night. We ask that you help us put the word out and/or consider contributing the following essential needs:

- - Become a Hero of Hope. Cash donations provide us the most flexibility to respond to needs as they arise. Click here to donate online. Donations by check can be mailed to: Father Bill’s & MainSpring, Attn: Development, 430 Belmont Street, Brockton, MA 02301.
  - Prepared meals We’re in need of prepared, serve-ready meals for our shelter sites in Brockton and Quincy. Click here for our specific meal needs for each site. Deliveries must be scheduled in advance. Contact Mary Ann Mendes, mmendes@helpfbms.org (508-427-6448 X2283) for available dates and delivery instructions.
  - We are hiring temporary, part-time, and full-time shelter support staff to help meet a growing need for our services. We’re paying $19/hour during this crisis. Click here for the job description. To apply, send cover letter resume to employment@helpfbms.org.
- - Bagged lunches (shelf stable items preferred) Click here to learn more about bagged lunch donations.
  - Personal protective equipment (PPE) and cleaning supplies – masks, gloves, hand soap, Lysol spray and wipes, toilet paper, paper towels.
  - Travel-size toiletries like shampoo, body wash, etc. for our shelter guests.

Donations can be sent or delivered to our individual shelter sites, Father Bill’s Place (38 Broad Street, Quincy) and MainSpring House (54 N. Main Street, Brockton), or to our administrative offices at 430 Belmont Street in Brockton. All donations must be coordinated in advance of delivery, and donations can be picked up at your vehicles by staff at these locations. To schedule a delivery, email mmendes@helpfbms.org.

Protecting Our Most Vulnerable

Based on guidance from public health organizations, and out of an abundance of caution for the vulnerable population we serve, FBMS has implemented the following guidelines and procedures at our shelter sites in order to limit any potential exposure of COVID-19 to our shelter guests:

FBMS has implemented an enhanced, thorough intake screening process to our shelter guests on a nightly basis to ensure the health and safety of everyone in our buildings.
Until further notice, no outside individuals/groups are allowed to enter our sites.
Community lunch service will be suspended until further notice and bagged lunches will be provided to shelter guests. This will allow our operations teams to use daytime hours to adequately and safely prepare for our evening intake process and shelter hours.
In early 2020, we stepped up our preventative measures to ensure our vulnerable population is safe, increasing the grade of our cleaning supplies, disinfecting more often, making sanitizer readily available.

Early in the pandemic, we partnered with public officials and local organizations to open temporary shelter sites to help depopulate Father Bill’s Place in Quincy and MainSpring House in Brockton. For example, in Quincy, the gymnasium inside the South Shore YMCA Quincy branch provided extra space and additional amenities to approximately 50 guests from Father Bill’s Place from April to June. In Brockton, several tents were erected outside of MainSpring House to serve approximately 60 individuals.

In June, in partnership with local officials we began operating satellite shelter sites at hotels in Quincy and Brockton, replacing the sites previously located at South Shore YMCA and in temporary tents. We have plans to purchase the Brockton hotel we are utilizing in order to convert the property into permanent supportive housing for 69 individuals experiencing homelessness.

We are committed to operating satellite sites for the duration of this crisis. By opening up new sites, there’s more space for guests and staff to follow social distancing guidelines recommended by the CDC and we have the flexibility to open up quarantine sites, if necessary.

We work with an immunodeficient population, including many elders, who are among the most vulnerable members of our community. Any virus, whether it’s the seasonal flu or coronavirus, can have an especially devastating impact on our shelter population, so it’s our responsibility to take every step needed to protect those we serve.

We hope you will keep this vulnerable population in mind as we move through these unprecedented times.