Our Rural Program offers basic needs, case management, shelter, education, counseling, and other services to youth, ages 11-21, in South Lane County. The need for these services is great, and with no other organization in the area working with this age group, it is more vital than ever that we remain operational. To find out how the Rural Program is responding to the COVID-19 crisis, we spoke with Amanda Hampton, the Rural Program Supervisor.
How have the Rural Program drop-in center services changed during this time?
We are open, and here to serve South Lane County youth! We continue to move forward with providing services 8:30am-5:00pm Monday-Friday, while ensuring the safety of both our staff and clients. All our services at the Rural Program have moved to a to-go basis, and youth are not able to hang out in the drop-in space. All our meals are being served to-go, and if a youth needs clothes or basic need/hygiene items, staff are grabbing those items for them. All our case management and referral support has moved online via email, and over the phone.
How are the youth you serve practically and emotionally responding to the COVID-19 crisis?
In general, I think that the youth that we serve have experienced and continue to experience a spectrum of emotions, beliefs and thoughts surrounding COVID-19.
For those that were not enrolled in school, and who weren’t working, not many things have changed in their day to day lives. Their needs are still the same: food, basic needs, stable housing, etc. This crisis has just increased the number of barriers already in place for them to access those services.
For those that were enrolled in school, accessing reliable internet, and a quiet/dry place to study has become very difficult, and there has been a lot of fear and confusion regarding what they need to do. It continues to be our role as service providers to help our clients navigate these confusing systems and help mitigate some of the barriers that the COVID-19 crisis has brought. However, we are needing to be more creative and flexible with how we offer those supports.
How does someone with unstable housing practice social distancing?
It is extremely hard for the youth that we serve to practice social distancing, as it is typically safer for youth experiencing homeless to congregate into groups. Most of the youth that we see at the Rural Program are couch surfing in doubled up housing situations, and in most cases tripled up housing situations, so you have, for example, 8+ people living in a two bedroom. Another common living situation for the youth we serve is staying in a car, van or trailer with no hookups. Being able to social distance, take care of basic hygiene needs, wash hands, etc. has always been a struggle for unhoused youth.
We focus on educating them regarding the CDC recommendations for social distancing and continue to use a harm reduction approach in conversations.
Have you seen any change in the demand for services?
The week the shelter in place mandate went into effect, we saw a decrease in the amount of youth we saw. I believe that this had to do with a lot of misinformation in the community around what was “allowed”, and our clients believing they would get in trouble for accessing services around town. Over the last few weeks, with the help of spreading the word via Facebook, as well as word of mouth between our clients, our numbers are back up.
Have you seen any change in the types of issues that youth are coming in with?
A big challenge that the youth we serve are facing is that open public spaces have become harder to find. The parks, the library, and our drop-in center are no longer places that they can congregate and hang out in. This poses one of the greatest questions for youth experiencing homelessness in Cottage Grove: where can I be?
How is the Rural Program staff handling the stress of the COVID-19 crisis?
The team at the Rural Program is handling this situation with creativity, flexibility, and resilience. Safety for our team and our clients is the number one priority, and so is continuing to serve. We have adapted our services to meet social distancing and safety standards, while continuing to ensure that youth experiencing or at-risk of experiencing homelessness in South Lane County are able to get their basic needs met.
The Rural Program team continues to inspire me with their dedication and commitment to this community, as well as their ability to roll with the tides and creatively problem solve to best serve youth.
What can our supporters do to help?
Continue to spread the word that we are open, and here to meet the needs of youth. Continue to donate gloves, Clorox wipes, hand sanitizer, grocery gift cards, etc.
Is there anything else you’d like our clients, donors, or supporters to know?
We are open! We are here to serve!
The Rural Program is located at 508 E. Whiteaker Avenue, Cottage Grove, OR 97424 and can be reached by calling 541-767-3823 or via 24-hour access via our agency crisis line at 541-689-3111. If you need help or have questions, please do not hesitate to reach out.