Transylvania opens gym to help house Lexington homeless during COVID-19 outbreak
Transylvania University will open its practice gym to house up to 50 men who typically stay at the Hope Center, Lexington’s largest homeless shelter for men.
With spring sports canceled and students finishing coursework remotely, the Lexington liberal arts university had unused space it could offer to the Hope Center during the COVID-19 outbreak, university officials said.
“Our students, staff and faculty have built a long-standing relationship with the Hope Center, regularly volunteering at their facility. Now is the time for us to offer this campus facility to help them continue to serve the community,” said John Williams, interim president of Transy.
The Hope Center clients will be housed at the Beck Center’s practice gym starting Tuesday through April 30. All individuals staying at the Beck Center will have their temperatures taking daily. Hope Center will supply staffing 24 hours a day and all bedding, towels and toiletries. Hope Center clients can also use the commercial laundry facilities and Beck Center showers.
In addition, Bon Appetit, Transylvania University’s food service provider, has agreed to provide meals to Hope Center clients during their month-long stay.
“This generous gesture truly speaks to the heart and soul of the Transylvania community spirit,” said Cathy Jacobs, chair of the Hope Center board. “We, the Hope Center Board of Directors, thank the Transylvania board and staff for extending a hand and helping our clients during this trying time.”
Other Lexington homeless shelters have also tried to find or have already found auxiliary space, particularly for older clients with pre-existing health conditions. All shelters are taking temperatures daily of people coming into and out of the shelter. Any one who has a temperature is immediately isolated from the population. Tests are then done to determine if the person is positive for the coronavirus.
If someone in the Lexington homeless shelter population tests positive, the city of Lexington has identified a separate facility to isolate positive homeless patients, city officials have previously said.
To date, no one in the Fayette County homeless shelter population has tested positive for the respiratory disease.
This story was originally published March 30, 2020 at 2:27 PM.
