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Our Response to COVID-19

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While we continue as an agency to be proactive and practice hyper-vigilance to ensure community health and safety, we will be taking precautionary measures in all of our programs in response to COVID-19. Find response details for each Spectrum program below.

 

Drop-In Center

Drop-In is continuing to stay open through our to-go food program, we serve youth 14 to 25, Monday through Friday, from 12 to 1 pm and from 5 to 6 pm at our temporary location 191 Bank St. Burlington, VT.

Drop-in Staff are also continuing to work with our youth by: helping to staff our housing programs, providing virtual Drop-In hours that allow youth to access services and resources, and providing COVID-19 related emergency support to the food shelf as well as other community resources.

Because we are only providing to-go food at this time, and also in the spirit of social distancing, we are limiting our donation needs to those listed below:

  • From restaurants/businesses: plastic ware, cleaning supplies, gloves, masks, etc., food items including bulk and ready to eat foods.
  • From individuals who want to donate a meal: groceries and grocery gift cards or restaurant delivery are welcome, please no pre-made meals at this time.

Please call us first to let us know what you would like to donate at 802-777-3341. Thank you for donating to Spectrum Youth and Family Services!”

Contact us at (802) 864-7423 x312 or click here for other community food resources.

 

Supportive Housing

The Landing and Transitional Housing Programs are currently open 24 hours per day, 7 days a week so all of the youth in these programs can “shelter in place.”

We are taking several precautions to minimize the risk, such as sanitizing surfaces and washing hands several times a day, limiting access to certain areas, and screening clients and staff for illness.

Governor Scott has asked that we close the Warming Shelter at this time. If you or someone you know is in need of temporary shelter, please call us at (802) 864-7423 x325.

 

Riverstone Counseling

Our counselors are holding sessions with clients through the use of telemedicine. Interested in making an appointment? Call us at (802) 864-7423 x310.

 

Detail Works

Detail Works will be closed until further notice. We sincerely appreciate your patronage and support. To be notified when we reopen please email us athello@detailworksvt.com and we will contact you as soon as we reopen. In the meantime, you can purchase gift cards here. We are committed to paying our youth staff for the foreseeable future.

 

Skills Programs

Our Skills Programs are still open and our staff are meeting with their clients virtually at this time. For more information on the skills programs that we offer or to contact a specific program, click here.

 

Mentoring

We’ve asked all of our mentors to suspend physical contact with their mentees at this time. However, here are some tips for staying in contact in other ways in the meantime. Learn more about our Mentoring Program here.

 

How You Can Help

Due to COVID-19, we are in need of:

  • hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes/spray, etc
  • pre-packaged food donations (ex. Go-gurt, string cheese, fruit cups, chips, snacks, etc)
  • gift cards to local grocery stores for youth and their families that are in need
  • donations to keep our doors open and to cover additional expenses like hazard pay for staff working in our residences
  • join the Spectrum Sleep Out in solidarity with all of our youth at Spectrum

 

Spectrum’s Sleep Out

  • Spectrum’s largest fundraiser, the Spectrum Sleep Out, will now be a virtual event to be held on the same date, March 26. This event raises a critical $300,000 for our programs and services. We are asking participants to sleep out at their own locations and share their experiences with us via photo and video on social media and other platforms.
  • We are asking our Student Sleep Outs to also move to a virtual format and to continue fundraising efforts if possible.
  • The St. Albans Sleep Out, which was created to support the opening of a Drop-In Center or shelter in St. Albans, has been postponed from April 16 to November of this year.

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