menu
Protecting Residents: Columbia Housing Wants Helping Groups to Follow the Rules
Protecting Residents: Columbia Housing Wants Helping Groups to Follow the Rules
Groups Are Failing to Follow COVID-19 Protocols Jeopardizing Health and Safety of Residents
Columbia, SC --- Columbia Housing is reminding individuals, groups, and organizations about their protocols for those who want to provide wrap-around services to its residents.
In recent days, some groups have come to Columbia Housing properties to pass out food to senior citizens and engage them in other activities. The problem is - they have not coordinated those activities through Columbia Housing officials or worked through the agency's health and safety protocols. Unfortunately, in widely circulated photos/videos on social media of such events; many were not wearing face coverings, practicing social distancing, and did not have clearance to be there.
Columbia Housing Chief Executive Officer Ivory Mathews welcomes community partners to support residents but says those efforts must be coordinated with Housing officials. "In the backdrop of the COVID-19, all of our partners work within our health and safety protocols to provide food donations and wrap-around services to our residents," says Mathews. "Many of our residents are among those most vulnerable to COVID-19, and our resident's health and safety are paramount."
Columbia Housing residents already receive ongoing food services from Senior Resources; the Ray and Karen Tanner Foundation & Senn Brothers Produce; Columbia City Councilman Ed McDowell; and others-all of which follow the Agency's established protocols. Columbia Housing's protocols follow health and safety guidelines established by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.
A recent flyer thanking July food donors and outlining Columbia Housing's protocols for engaging our residents can be found here.
XXXXXXXXXX
Columbia Housing is deeply grateful for our ongoing relationships with Community Partners and Organizations that provide services for our residents throughout the year.
During this uncertain time regarding the COVID-19 pandemic we ask that groups wishing to provide meals or food for our senior citizens residing at the high rises please comply with the following protocols:
- Food must be packaged in individual serving trays or boxes.
- Serving lines cannot be accommodated.
- Food must be distributed with the Center for Disease Control's social distancing guidelines in mind, a distance of at least 6 feet must be maintained between all persons involved in the distribution.
- Volunteers must wear a mask.
- All give away events must be coordinated with TJ Jackson (803-254-3886, ext. 330) tjackson@columbiahousingsc.org
We appreciate the community's concern and willingness to serve our residents at this difficult time.
Follow Us At
Please visit our website at ColumbiaHousingsc.org for more information about Columbia Housing!
