Welcome to COVID-19 Restore Illinois Phase 4 at Sharing Connections! THANK YOU for helping to get us this far! As we move forward into Phase 4 we need to make sure we continue in the right direction and keeping our health and safety a priority, we’re changing things up:
In compliance with IL regulations and requirements, we will resume COVID-19 compliant operations to be conducted by approved volunteers and staff. For Phase 4 we will be proceeding with the following:
[UPDATED 8/1/2020] Hours of operations to accept donations will be Monday-Friday, 9am-3pm. Saturdays: 9am-Noon. Hours may change according to recommendations provided by local or state leadership.
ALL staff and volunteers will enter through the main office door at 5111 Chase Avenue and temperature checked. If your temperature is 100.4 degrees F or greater (per CDC guidelines) you will not be allowed to work or volunteer until your temperature falls below that threshold. NO ENTRY will be permitted from any other door at Sharing Connections.
Masks/face coverings with mouth and nose covered will be required when social distancing cannot be done. This means that if you’re working/volunteering by yourself in an area, or in an office or at a desk away from others, and you can keep your distance at least 6 feet from someone else, you can take a break from the mask. But if that distance cannot be maintained PLEASE COVER UP.
While on location, wash your hands wash your hands wash your hands! Hand sanitizing gel is also available throughout the facility.
DONATION OF FURNITURE/ITEMS:
Furniture pickup service will resume beginning July 20, 2020. For the protection of our volunteer truck crew, all items must be available outside of the home, in a garage, on a deck or in a drive way for easy access and to accommodate the suggested safe distance.
Individual furniture and/or household item donations (no clothing at this time) can be dropped off by donors at our warehouse if the donor has the ability to unload their furniture items and/or has helpers to unload their furniture donations. Delivery of large furniture items by a professional moving company is recommended.
SERVICES FOR CLIENTS/FAMILIES IN CRISIS:
We will continue to operate under “No Contact” basic furniture/bed/crib services that will be provided to individuals/clients by staff through a pre-scheduled appointment. Contact us here for more information. For the safety of our volunteers, clothing services are not available at this time as entrance to the full facility is prohibited, but it is under review and we look to offer it again soon.
VOLUNTEERING:
Volunteer opportunities are open but limited to the IL recommended person max gathering requirement in Phase 4. Sharing Connections will provide the required masks (if you do not bring one) and will provide gloves. Available spaces are limited, so contact us here to secure your spot on an upcoming day.
Volunteer hours will go back to 9-3 (or 9-12 and 12-3) Monday through Friday, Saturdays 9-Noon.
At approximately 11:45, work will be paused in order to wipe down tables, door handles, buttons, sign-in computer screens and all other touch points in order to prepare for the 12-3 shift of volunteers coming in. Staff will again do a wipe-down at the end of the day.
We wanted to take a quick moment to address what we are all seeing on the news and provide some operational updates as we explore what actions are best for our volunteers, staff, donors and clients. It's important that you know that the Sharing Connections team continues to keep up to date on the latest information provided through the Health Department along with additional resources provided through state and federal leadership. Here are some of the current measures being applied to enhance the safety of our facility:
• Increased cleaning frequency paying special attention to the front office common area, door handles and other high-touch areas.
• Hand sanitizers located both at the front desk check-in and also located at the volunteer login computer.
• All restrooms are maintained multiple times each day making sure there is adequate soap and disposable towels.
What we accomplish together each day is very important to the clients we serve. We also take the health of our volunteers, clients and staff very seriously. As a precaution and in support of our volunteer’s health, we have temporarily suspended warehouse operations and donor furniture pickups until further notice. We will regularly review public health recommendations to provide us with guidance going forward and will adapt our approach as necessary.
What does this mean for furniture donations and item drop offs?
Due to the recent health recommendations surrounding the COVID-19 virus, and out of an abundance of caution for our volunteers, staff, donors and clients, as of March 16, 2020, we have temporarily suspended the acceptance of all item donations (furniture, household items, clothing, etc.) at our warehouse. Furniture pickup services for donors have also been temporarily suspended, but can still be scheduled tentatively for a future pickup. We apologize for this temporary inconvenience and look forward to resuming warehouse operations very soon as hundreds of families depend on your generous donations. Please continue to check our website as updates become available.
How can donors still make an impact and help Sharing Connections moving ahead?
With the suspension of warehouse operations, it will be even more important to continue to receive financial support as we ramp up services to clients in the coming months. With an increase of 25% in clients served YTD as of February 29th, 2020, we fully understand the challenge this virus has presented and the job ahead for our team to catch up with time lost.
Even with the warehouse operations on hold, staff is still available to provide assistance in any of the areas below. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us as we all work through this challenging time. Together, We Furnish Hope.