May 31, 2020
Infection Prevention and Control Training – HHI has provided live, online Infection Prevention and Control Training for 81 organizations and coached 779 individuals (serving 166,098 people) with information about how to properly mitigate COVID-19 transmission and how to operate in a post-coronavirus environment. Learn more here.
Medical Aid Shipped – 345 shipments of medicines and medical supplies, including n95 masks, patient masks, face shields, gowns, sanitizing wipes, sanitizer and gloves have been sent to hospitals, healthcare clinics, pharmacies and more in 21 states, including:
- The Navajo Nation: Coordinating with other response organizations, HHI has delivered truckloads water along with PPE to organizations in the Navajo Nation. At least 15% of Navajo Nation homes have no running water, with some experts estimating as high as 40%. Lack of water is thought to be a major reason the number of COVID-19 cases in the Navajo Nation is the 2nd highest in the US per capita.
- Helping Hands sanitizer: HHI helped distribute hand sanitizer produced by the Holladay Distillery, to organizations in need, including the Missouri Secretary of State’s office to cover all the state’s polling stations for the election in June.
- Protecting Day Cares: In coordination with Mid-America Regional Council and The Family Conservancy, HHI has delivered sanitizing wipes and thermometers to ensure safety measures in more than 30 daycares.
Hygiene Kit Deliveries
49,110 Hygiene Kits have been delivered to food banks, homeless assistance groups, nursing homes, public safety organizations, school districts, and more in 19 states. Some of the recipient organizations:
- “We are truly grateful for your generosity and have begun setting the wheels in motion to engage with community partners at the soup kitchen, senior center, and homeless ministry to ensure our reach is far and wide to best serve our neighbors.”– Kristen Koehler, Rahway Community Action Organization – Rahway, New Jersey
- “Thank you for blessing our community with your donation. Our team is excited, and we know our seniors will love the kits. Our plan includes delivering 600 kits to homebound seniors living alone, receiving Meals on Wheels, and 300 kits will be offered to our three Senior Community Wellness Centers located in Detroit during the drive-thru meal pick up.” – DiAnna Solomon, Detroit Area Agency on Aging – Detroit, Michigan
Serving KC’s Homeless Population – HHI volunteers and the Mobile Medical Unit (MMU) are providing medical care at Hope Faith Homeless Assistance Campus and to individuals quarantined in a nearby hotel awaiting COVID-19 test results. To date, 217 patients have been seen, with 12 suspected COVID-19 positive, 1 confirmed and 7 tested at the MMU. HHI is also providing medical support for the Salvation Army Three Trails site where people experiencing homelessness who test positive for COVID-19 can stay. HHI is providing an RN to conduct wellness checks and utilizing volunteer providers via telehealth when needed. The site opened May 15, and HHI has treated two patients.
COVID-19 Testing – Working in collaboration with community partners, HHI is providing free COVID-19 tests to essential workers who may be moving around the community without knowing if they are infected. 274 individuals have been tested already through collection events at sites selected in consultation with the community groups. More events are scheduled. At the Hope Faith campus, HHI can collect samples for COVID19 testing to be sent to the state lab. Patients must still meet KC Dept. of Health testing criteria. Learn more here.
Community Health in Haiti and Puerto Rico – HHI community health promoters in Puerto Rico, working with COSSAO, are surveying low-resource populations in the mountains for COVID-19 symptoms and providing guidance on health resources available. In Haiti, two doctors have been virtually trained to become trainers for our community health workers in Petit-Goave. As of 15 May they have trained 24 community health workers, 2 supervisors, and 1 logistician in infection prevention and control measures. Over May and June these community health workers will reach 12,000 households.
