COVID-19 & The Homeless: A Critical Public Health Effort

Summary:

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many homeless individuals were left in the dark—suddenly, shelters closed, streets emptied, and vital resources became scarce. Without access to news or public health briefings, thousands of unhoused individuals were unaware of the virus, how it spread, or how to protect themselves.

To bridge this urgent information gap, the Virgen Health Science Center International (VHSCI)—now the Black Catholic Health Research Institute (BaCHRI)—developed an easy-to-understand flyer explaining:
✔ What COVID-19 is and how it spreads
✔ Key symptoms and warning signs of infection
✔ Simple ways to protect themselves, even without stable housing (masking, distancing, hand hygiene)

Working with over 100 homeless shelters and outreach agencies across major U.S. cities, BaCHRI distributed this flyer via priority mail, ensuring frontline teams could physically hand them out to people on the streets. One mobile outreach team in a major city took these flyers directly to unhoused individuals, educating them on COVID-19 prevention when no other sources of information were available.

📌 Key Takeaways from This Outreach Initiative:
✔ Homeless individuals were among the most vulnerable yet least informed about COVID-19.
✔ Our team partnered with over 100 shelters and agencies to provide life-saving health education.
✔ This initiative reinforced our commitment to public health equity, ensuring no one was left behind.

 Download the Full Flyer below.