The health and safety of our community is our top priority.In the context of the spread of COVID-19 and the disruptions to community life, we are writing to provide an update to our JFS community. As of this writing, there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Washtenaw County, but there are known cases in Michigan and Governor Whitmer has declared a State of Emergency.
We are staying up-to-date with information from our local, state and federal governments and health organizations. We are committed to sustaining our critical services to the community safely and responsibly. We will err on the side of being conservative when it comes to the safety and health of our clients, staff, volunteers, and partners and balance our decision-making with the knowledge of how essential our services are to some of the most vulnerable members of our local community. During this time of uncertainty and unease, we will do our level best to serve our community with minimum disruption.
At this time, JFS is taking the following steps to minimize the risk of transmission of COVID-19:
· We have increased the frequency of sanitizing and cleaning throughout the facility and vehicles.
· Staff, visitors, clients and volunteers will be reminded to take steps to reduce the spread of germs and illness including washing their hands with soap and warm water and/or hand sanitizer, avoiding touching their eyes, noses, and mouths, covering their coughs and sneezes with tissues and to dispose of tissues in the trash and washing their hands after using a tissue.
· We are implementing social distancing practices wherever possible.
· We ask all who have any symptoms of illness to stay home if they are sick. We will be turning away staff, clients and visitors if there are visible signs of illness.
· We are assessing all aspects of our operations and services based on recommendations from government health officials. In an abundance of caution, we are making specific modifications to some operations to help mitigate risk of further exposure to the virus.
· We will cancel or postpone certain events and programs based on the aforementioned recommendations.
Local and State guidance informs us that closing our JFS offices and halting our services is unwarranted at this time. We will remain in close contact with public health officials throughout the duration of this threat and comply with their guidance. We will notify you if/when their guidance leads us to changes in policies, practices, services and/or operations.
We anticipate that the COVID-19 outbreak will impact our social service agency in many ways, including increased demand for our services, lost revenue, and decreased capacity, as well as other challenges. We are grateful for those who are offering to help and appreciate any donations or support you can give during this time.
Here are some valuable links for up-to-date information on COVID-19:
Support resources:
Be Well. Now and Always.
JFS Administration & Board of Directors