By Veronica Beltran

no plan for the homeless amidst COVD-19

‘There is not contingency plan for the homeless’: No plans for homeless amidst COVID-19

Mar 20, 2020 | 11:10 AM

PRINCE GEORGE—St. Vincent de Paul’s doors may technically be closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, they’re still very much open.

Bernie Goold, Board Member with St. Vincent de Paul says that breakfast, lunch and dinner is still being provided to the homeless as they exercise stricter measures in cleanliness and in how they distribute food.

The soup kitchen recently switching over to using take-out containers and handing out food to the homeless outside of the building.

“There is not contingency plan for the homeless.”—Bernie Goold

“We don’t know what the plan is,” said Goold to CKPG News in an over the phone interview, in regards to what is being done locally or provincially to protect the homeless during the COVID-19 pandemic. Goold says that the province has asked British Columbians to self isolate and to practice self distancing but that “these people don’t have that.”

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Goold says the lack of a contingency plan makes her and others at St. Vincent feel uneasy, “so many of these people are our friends…if you’re friend was sick and you didn’t know what to do or where to send them…we see a lot of worried faces when we’re handing out the food.”

“Some have chosen to stay and some have chosen to stay home.”—Bernie Goold

As for volunteers who are seniors Goold mentions that some have decided to stay home due to concerns of the spread of the novel coronavirus, which she says is understandable.

Anyone looking to volunteer with St. Vincent de Paul is asked to contact Ashley at 250-564-7871