COVID-19 (Coronavirus)

GRACE ANNOUNCES VOLUNTARY QUARANTINE IN RESPONSE TO SPREAD OF CORONAVIRUS

3/20/2020

Media Contacts: 
Executive Director Jon DeCarmine, 352-212-9642
Director of Development John Thomas, 352-792-0800 x131

Effective March 20, 2020 at 7p, GRACE has announced a voluntary quarantine for its 25-acre homeless services campus at 3055 NE 28th Dr. At this time, GRACE has not had any confirmed cases of COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus. These are proactive steps designed with the safety of our staff, our guests, and our community in mind. 

What does this mean?

• Only individuals with a bed on the campus, or a tent in Dignity Village or the new GRACE campground will be allowed on campus. 
• Anyone coming to the campus for a meal will be able to receive one at the front gate. 
• GRACE is not accepting new intakes for shelter services for the next seven days.

During this voluntary quarantine, GRACE is still accepting donations of uncooked, unopened food and regular donations from our needs list. Donations can be dropped off at the front gate. Financial contributions can be made at gracemarketplace.org. 

GRACE has set up an isolation unit for those showing symptoms, but will continue to send symptomatic individuals to the Health Dept. or the hospital until we have identified a source of appropriate medical support.

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View & Print Our COVID-19 Action Plan

Partner Agency Schedule Changes

• Veterans Affairs has suspended their program at GRACE unit further notice. 
• The UF Mobile Clinic has suspended their Friday hours. They will be at GRACE on Monday serving guests by appointment only. 

How you can help?

👉Make a cash donation at gracemarketplace.org/makeadonation

👉We are open for donation drop-off. You can continue to bring your donations to GRACE

👉Shop our Amazon wish list. Here is the link, http://a.co/iDIr7Qc.

👉Donate uncooked, unopened food from an event that was canceled.

Please consider making a gift to GRACE today to ensure we can continue to care for those most in need while working to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Click here to make a donation now. 

Press Inquiries

All press inquires should be directed to Jon DeCarmine by emailing jdecarmine@gracemarketplace.org. 

Local, State & National Resources

Alachua County Emergency Management
https://alachuacounty.us/Depts/EM/Pages/Coronavirus.aspx

Florida Department of Health
http://www.floridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/COVID-19/index.html

Centers for Disease Control - Interim Guidance for Homeless Shelters
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/homeless-shelters/plan-prepare-respond.html