Dear Community,
We are all taking things day by day in what amounts to an unprecedented time and circumstance. We have been deeply moved by the ways in which our community has responded. You are offering yourselves and your resources, your prayers and your adaptive engagement. We are learning how to be church in new ways. It is inspiring and we are grateful.
We have an important update this afternoon for you all. We learned today that a member of our staff has been in direct contact with a person who has tested positive for the COVID-19 (coronavirus). That staff member was last in the building on Saturday and is now experiencing symptoms. They are self-isolating.
The building partners, including the West Side Campaign Against Hunger, Broadway United Church of Christ, Goddard Riverside, B’nai Jeshurun, and the Shelter administration, all gathered on a call with us at St. Paul & St. Andrew to determine next steps to ensure the safety of the entire community and those we serve.
We are closing the building to all partners and the public as of 6pm today. We are scheduling a deep cleaning and disinfection of the entire building by an outside professional company, who will follow the guidelines of the Department of Health.
Until further notice, all staff who work in the building are asked to work from home. We will be back in touch with you after the cleaning to communicate when the building will reopen.
For now, we ask that you hold our community member, all our staff, and our partners in supportive prayer. We also ask you to keep those persons who come to this building for food and shelter in your prayers. This closure affects them the most.
Peace be with you.
Your Pastors,
Lea & K