The nonprofit has an opportunity to tell the story of how the organization adapted to tremendous external changes in the last year.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Lazarus House identified the safe operation of the Soup Kitchen, Food Pantry, Shelter, and Capernaum Place transitional housing program as the organization’s top priorities and paused all other programming not related to these essential functions. Thanks to the unsurpassed dedication of direct service staff and support from our community, Lazarus House remained open without interruption as a provider of nourishment, shelter, and hope. Adaptations made in specific programs are detailed here:
Lazarus House had to reformulate the way we delivered meals and groceries. Soup Kitchen staff suspended dining room service and instead prepacked and handed out meals through a walk-up window. Pantry Guests, who normally enter the Pantry to select their preferred items, received prepacked grocery bags.
Normally, 95-99% of food Lazarus House provides is donated by businesses and by groups who run food drives for us. Lazarus House launched three socially distanced models for food drives: Pop Your Trunk, Porch Pick-up, and the virtual #ClickToCare. All three models proved highly successful in keeping our shelves stocked,
During the summer and fall of 2020, Lazarus House’s 8-bedroom, congregate-style Shelter building underwent a complete renovation to accommodate families in five private suites, each with its own freshly furnished bedroom, living room, and bath. Generous supporters donated much of the labor and some significant materials, keeping Lazarus House’s out-of-pocket costs below $75,000. The Shelter reopened to families in early December.
Lazarus House purchased Chromebooks for every family to support online learning, telehealth appointments, case management, and connection to the outside world. We offered Budget Buddies, our ever-popular financial education and mentoring series, through an online format in both English and Spanish.
Our thrift store reopened in November 2020 with COVID safety protocols.