Dignity Health Donates $282,000 To Project Roomkey
Sonora, CA — Calaveras County has received a sizeable donation to help continue its program that assists homeless residents during the time of COVID-19.
In addition to sheltering homeless residents who are exposed, or at high risk, for coronavirus, the county-operated program offers clients housing-focused case management. It helps them identify the barriers they face and create a plan to achieve housing stability.
Dignity Health is donating a $282,000 grant to the program to allow it to continue for at least six more months.
“In Calaveras County, we’ve seen remarkable success in protecting the capacity of our local healthcare system by helping people experiencing homelessness to care for themselves, thus reducing unnecessary hospitalizations,” said Doug Archer, Mark Twain Medical Center president and CEO.
“We know that social distancing is an effective prevention measure, but this isn’t always possible for people who don’t have a place to live. Project Roomkey has been an important tool for us to serve the needs of a vulnerable population while preserving health care resources during our current crisis. We expect to see lasting benefits for the people who participate in the program and for the county’s health system as well. If someone has a clean and safe place to live with supportive services, then they’ll have better health, and will be less likely to need emergency care.”
Project Roomkey was initiated this past April, and since that time 58 Calaveras community members have been served. Of those, 21 have successfully transitioned to permanent housing.
