Today is the anniversary of Martin’s transformation into a takeout only soup kitchen in response to the Covid-19 Pandemic. At that time, of course, we never dreamed that we would still be reduced to the same skeleton crew serving bag lunches at the front gate one whole year later! But here we are. The roses are, once again, about to bloom in our garden.
The good news is that our whole crew is now fully vaccinated. It feels amazing that we were all able to stay safe and avoid infection. We really have been extremely careful. Our hope is that our guests will begin to be vaccinated soon. Some people have received their shots, however, there has not yet been a big push on the part of the city to immunize our unhoused population.
With the immunization of our pandemic crew we have begun to think about what sorts of changes we can safely make to how we are feeding and caring for our guests. First and foremost we are taking this time to make some much needed renovations and repairs to our physical space. When this work is finished and when more of the guests have received their vaccines, hopefully, we will be able to expand our services. The first step, most likely, would be to safely provide showers. We will determine how best to do this when the time is right.
As we have attempted to make clear throughout the year, we are deeply grateful for your support, your generosity and your patience! There is no question in our minds that Martins, as we have known it for almost 50 years, will be going through another major transformation not unlike the one that took place in 1986 when we moved here to “the new place”. Much thought and planning will go into how our new Martins will rise from the ashes of this devastating year.
So, please bear with us. You are always in our hearts and minds and we will keep you updated as we move forward full of hope.
