Fordham Prep
raises $40K for St.
Barnabas Hospital
Mike’s Deli delivers lunch to ER staff at St. Barnabas
Photo courtesy Fordham Prep
How is COVID-19 affecting the homeless?
BRONX TIMES REPORTER,BTR APR. 10-16, 2020 3
BY JASON COHEN
One Bronx high school has
made sure the efforts of doctors,
nurses and medical professionals
risking their lives
battling COVID-19 have not
gone unnoticed.
Recently, Fordham Prep
High School, 441 E. Fordham
Rd., donated safety goggles,
lab coats and examination
gloves from the school’s science
laboratories to St. Barnabas
Hospital. But, their generosity
didn’t stop there.
On March 27, the school
launched Lunch for Life,
where all of the funds raised
would be given to local eatery
Mike’s Deli, 2344 Arthur Ave.,
which will bring lunch to the
hospital twice a day. So far
the staff, alumni, parents and
students have raised $40,000
to feed emergency room workers.
“All of us in the Fordham
Prep community are deeply
concerned about friends, members
of our community and
our neighbors in the Bronx
impacted by the COVID-19
outbreak,” said Fordham
Prep President Rev. Christopher
Devron, S.J. “Few have
been hit harder than doctors
and nurses who work in hospital
emergency rooms. All of
us in the Fordham Prep community
are deeply concerned
about on the front lines of this
crisis, often working double
shifts at great risk to their
own health.”
Devron told the Bronx
Times the school is less than
a mile away from the hospital,
so they have had a good
relationship for many years.
Giving back to them was a nobrainer,
he said.
Devron recalled when he
fi rst broached the idea of donating
supplies the staff was
fully on board. But they
wanted to do more. Again,
another longstanding relationship
came into play.
Mike’s Deli, which is a staple
in the community and the son
of the owner David Greco is a
2015 alumni, joined them in
supporting the hospital.
“The Mike’s Deli team is
extremely grateful to have
the opportunity to assist Father
Devron and the Fordham
Prep family though the Lunch
for Life program,” Greco said.
“During these unprecedented
times, we strive to serve
the fi nest, high quality food
needed for the brave doctors,
nurse and everyone else on
the front line at St. Barnabas
Hospital. We are proud to be
part of this effort to support
our community.”
Devron noted that Dr. Ernest
Patti, senior physician
of emergency medicine at St.
Barnabas is the father of a
Prep senior. Really it was family
helping family, he said.
“These delicious meals are
absolutely a much-needed respite
from this devastating
pandemic,” Dr. Patti said.
“They allow us to rest and
nourish not only our bodies,
but also our spirit, reminding
us of the unifi ed strength and
resolve of the human experience.
They also demonstrate
the love, support, and generosity
that Fordham Prep has
shown to the St. Barnabas
Hospital family, where we
have cared for Prep students
and faculty over the years.”
A donation provides:
$20 will sponsor one lunch
$100 will sponsor fi ve
lunches
$200 will sponsor ten
lunches
$400 will sponsor twenty
lunches
$800 will sponsor lunches
for the ER for one day
$4,000 will sponsor lunch
for the ER for a week
The hashtag for the initiative
is #LunchforLife. To
contribute, click on Lunch for
Life.
BY JASON COHEN
As New York City is sending
homeless people with
COVID-19 to shelters, the
question remains, how are the
shelters being taken care of?
According to the Department
of Health and Human
Services, as of April 5, there
have been 239 confi rmed coronavirus
cases for homeless, including
213 cases among sheltered
New Yorkers, 11 among
unsheltered New Yorkers, 15
DHS referrals and 12 deaths.
There are 392 people in isolation
across fi ve isolation locations,
which also includes
several of the confi rmed-positives
as well as non-confi rmed
symptomatic folks.
“As we face down this disease
together and work hard
to support our city’s most vulnerable
residents, we mourn
each individual lost and we recommit
ourselves each day to
this fi ght,” said Isaac McGinn,
a spokesperson for DHS. “We
thank our essential staff for
their continued dedication, as
they report for duty around
the clock and respond to those
in need.”
Tarsha McCallum, senior
director of the Safe Horizon
Bronx Domestic Violence
Shelter is dealing with this
fi rsthand. Safe Horizon has
two Bronx facilities, both for
stays of up to six months. One
has 66 residents and the other
has 16.
McCallum said things have
been diffi cult, but the staff is
doing the best it can. They are
providing residents with hand
sanitizer, disinfectant wipes
and reinforcing social distancing.
According to McCallum,
the shelters are cleaned several
times a day.
“The residents have been
abiding by social distancing,”
McCallum said. “They stagger
cooking times so the families
are not using the kitchen
at the same time. We are educating
them about staying protected
(universal precautions
such as washing hands frequently,
keeping their spaces
clean and washing down surfaces).”
She explained that each family
has its own room. The spaces
are large enough for the families
to share and stay six feet
apart. They have also left an
apartment vacant just in case
they have a client with symptoms.
Currently, no one does.
“Though it has been challenging
for everyone, we are
dedicated to serving the residents,”
she said. “They are our
fi rst priority. Operating 24/7
for our residents, we are working
everyday to implement best
practices for residents during
this crisis. We come into work
for the residents to have a support
system, a way to decompress
and process the situation
with them. Our commitment
is ensuring that residents and
staff feel supported, especially
during this critical time.”
In total, there are 450 shelters
citywide. In family shelters,
families live in separate
units. For single adult sites,
dorms tend to be on average
eight to 12 beds per room. In
these single adult locations, of
which there are approximately
100, DHS is modifying its approach
to services and programs
to increase social distancing.
For example, while clients
were not required to leave their
shelters prior to COVID-19,
they did have to leave rooms
for unit cleaning, etc. but now
will be adjusting this requirement.
It has also extended and
staggered meal times to limit
gatherings.
If someone is sick, there
are immediately transported
either to the hospital or isolation
for monitoring or recovery.
Providers have been instructed
to separate any clients
who may express experiencing
symptoms from the rest of the
population while promptly
seeking care or isolation, and
give him/her a mask while
awaiting transportation.
Tarsha McCallum, senior director
of the Safe Horizon Bronx Domestic
Violence Shelter Photo courtesy
Safe Horizon