Announcement Inside Travelers Safe Haven During the Coronavirus Pandemic

Program Director at Travelers Safe Haven, Bernadette, gives an update on how her staff and clients are dealing with the coronavirus.

Bernadette is a Brooklyn native with a Master’s degree in psychology. She started as a case manager at Urban Pathways back in January 2012 and in 2015 she became the program director at Travelers Safe Haven.

“Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in New York City, Travelers has been continuing to move clients off the streets and into supportive housing and reconnect them with family and loved ones while still adhering to CDC guidelines.”

For the safety of all, the staff at Travelers have established precautions like social distancing, and staff have encouraged less social interaction between clients. “As a Safe Haven, we have a very transient population. These are men and women who have very recently moved inside and off the streets. Clients come and go through out the day, they share rooms and cannot be forced to stay inside. To combat this, the staff ensures that clients sanitize their hands when they enter the building and they also provide clients with masks for their safety. The staff have been all-hands-on-deck making sure the clients and themselves are protected.”

“What keeps me hopeful every day I come into work is that since COVID-19, some of our clients have reunited with their families. We have seen a lot of our clients mending relationships and reconnecting with their loved ones. One client is even working on moving back home!”

“It is great to see that during this time people are reaching out and getting back in touch with lost family. It makes me excited to come to work every day and see who we can help today.”