• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Valley Citizen

Pursuing truth toward justice

The Valley Citizen

Pursuing truth toward justice
  • Arts
  • Education
  • Environment
  • History
  • Nature
  • Politics
  • Wit
  • About

Covid-19 Brings New Challenges for Haven Emergency Shelter

April 5, 2020 By Tom Portwood 1 Comment

May Rico Haven Women's Emergency Center
May Rico

While many of us are making often radical adjustments to our lives during this tragic time, those people living in an abusive environment at home can find themselves even more isolated than ever. May Rico, the Executive Director at the Haven Women’s Center of Stanislaus, shared her thoughts on that issue in a telephone interview the other day:

“If someone is living in a violent relationship, they have few safe places in their lives, and they have child care issues, and other people around them may not know of what’s going on in their lives,” Ms. Rico explained.

“Sometimes they’ll share with others that they’re in a violent relationship, but often they don’t.  Now that we have all been told to stay at home, the victims of domestic abuse suddenly see that many of the safer parts of their lives are getting smaller and smaller, and their access to those safe places is drastically reduced and that adds to their sense of isolation, which can become quite overwhelming. We now find ourselves in a situation where isolation is a necessity for safety from this disease, but for people who are in an abusive situation, isolation will make that home all the more dangerous.” 

As Ms. Rico points out, the services offered by the Haven’s emergency shelter program are particularly crucial at this time.

“We have six families in the shelter, which puts us at full capacity. But we’re trying to help everyone in need, and we can temporarily house some of our clients in hotels during times of overflow at the shelter.”  

The Haven Emergency Shelter has long provided a vigorous level of support to “survivors seeking safety and healing.” Services offered include provision of food and clothing; peer counseling; case management services; parenting and support groups for adults; youth programs; and restraining order assistance.

The onset of the Coronavirus pandemic sent Ms. Rico and the staff at the shelter scrambling for masks last week. Given that the shelter is located in a relatively small building for the number of people living in close quarters, she realized that Haven needed to act quickly to protect the safety of clients and shelter staff alike

“We knew we had to do something as a precaution to stop the spread of droplets from one person to another at the shelter. But we didn’t have anything at the shelter,” said Ms. Rico.

“Then, I heard the Rachael Maddow show when they were talking about this, and how hospitals and the health care community we’re putting out a call urging people who knew how to sew to make masks, so I went online and found the link to some instructions, and posted that on our Facebook page, and people have been responding. I had one person whose wife works in a nail salon, and she donated a box of masks. I’ve already received one packet of ten homemade masks, and there are other people who have contacted me who want to help – so people are definitely responding. We have about 35 people (staff and clients together) who would need 5 – 10 masks a person (assuming regular weekly laundry) in various sizes. If we get more than we need I will contact other shelter providers in our community to see if they can use them.”

The Haven’s main office is located at 618 13th Street, Modesto, California, 95354, but is closed due to the virus.  To hear of ways to support the shelter program, please call the 24 Hour Crisis Line at 209.577.5980, and ask for Venesa.

 

 

Filed Under: History Tagged With: Coronavirus Modesto, Covid-19 Stanislaus County

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Johnny Hernandez says

    April 10, 2020 at 2:11 pm

    Good article, I’m so glad she watched the Rachel Maddow Show and it helped her with her problem of the much-needed masks. I applaud Ms Rico for all she does to help others.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Note: Some comments may be held for moderation.

Primary Sidebar

Off The Wire

In California?s Heartland, a New Resistance Movement Is Taking Root
In California’s Heartland, a New Resistance Movement Is Taking Root
How do you change a place as polluted and desperately unequal as the San Joaquin Valley?
www.nytimes.com
America?s Approach to Addiction Has Gone Off the Rails
America’s Approach to Addiction Has Gone Off the Rails
In a time of fentanyl and meth, we need to use law enforcement differently and more often.
www.theatlantic.com
Plastic Pollution Is So Pervasive That It?s Causing a New Disease in Seabirds
Plastic Pollution Is So Pervasive That It’s Causing a New Disease in Seabirds
Researchers coined the term “plasticosis” to describe stomach damage related to ingesting trash.
www.audubon.org
'Greedflation,' Conspiracy Theories, And Conspiracy
‘Greedflation,’ Conspiracy Theories, And Conspiracy
This article is part of TPM Cafe, TPM?s home for opinion and news…
talkingpointsmemo.com
White House plan to fight antisemitism takes on centuries of hatred in America
White House plan to fight antisemitism takes on centuries of hatred in America
Recommended steps include raising awareness of antisemitism now and in the past, expanding knowledge of Jewish heritage in the US
www.timesofisrael.com
Oath Keepers leader Rhodes sentenced to 18 years for Jan. 6 seditious conspiracy
Oath Keepers leader Rhodes sentenced to 18 years for Jan. 6 seditious conspiracy
Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes faces a prison sentence up to 25 years in the first punishments for seditious conspiracy in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack.
www.washingtonpost.com
Opinion | America?s Poverty Is Built by Design
Opinion | America’s Poverty Is Built by Design
How did the U.S. become a land of economic extremes with the rich getting richer while the working poor grind it out? Deliberately.
www.politico.com
Republican Jewish Coalition Blasts Gosar Over Staffer's Ties To White Supremacist: Fuentes Has 'No Place' In Congress
Republican Jewish Coalition Blasts Gosar Over Staffer’s Ties To White Supremacist: Fuentes Has ‘No Place’ In Congress
The Republican Jewish Coalition slammed Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) following a  TPM…
talkingpointsmemo.com
Newsom restores floodplain funds, adds $290 million to flood control budget
Newsom restores floodplain funds, adds $290 million to flood control budget
After widespread, bipartisan criticism, the governor revised his budget to include $40 million to restore San Joaquin Valley floodplains.
calmatters.org
New Study Finds a High Minimum Wages Creates Jobs
New Study Finds a High Minimum Wages Creates Jobs
Conventional wisdom had long suggested the opposite.
nymag.com
Spiraling in San Francisco?s Doom Loop
Spiraling in San Francisco’s Doom Loop
What it’s like to live in a city that no longer believes its problems can be fixed.
www.curbed.com
San Diego to open homeless camp sites at two parking lots near Balboa Park
San Diego to open homeless camp sites at two parking lots near Balboa Park
The two lots could accommodate about 500 tents and would be an alternative to congregate shelters
www.sandiegouniontribune.com

Find us on Facebook

The Valley Citizen
PO Box 156
Downtown Bear Postal
1509 K Street
Modesto, CA 95354

Email us at:
thevalleycitizen@sbcglobal.net

Footer

The Valley Citizen
PO Box 156
Downtown Bear Postal
1509 K Street
Modesto, CA 95354

Email us at:
thevalleycitizen@sbcglobal.net

Subscribe for Free

* indicates required

Search

• Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 The Valley Citizen

Dedicated to the memory of John Michael Flint. Contact us at thevalleycitizen@sbcglobal.net

Editor and publisher: Eric Caine

Website customization and maintenance by Susan Henley Design