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JPCM Winter Covid Procedures

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Jackson Personal Care Ministry has moved indoors, but with different procedures than prior to the pandemic. Here’s what you’ll experience if you come to Jackson Personal Care Ministry this winter!

The pantry is open from 5 – 6:30pm every Thursday, except on holidays. The pantry is now serving guests using the front entrance to our Education Building. Guests will form a line outside the front entrance of the church and wait to be called inside one by one. There will not be more than 2 guests inside the pantry at a time.

Most wait times for guests are during the first 15 minutes of the pantry being open. On cold nights, arrive after the initial rush to reduce your wait time outdoors. To enter the building and receive pantry items, guests must wear masks inside the building. Guests must also provide their name and a Jackson county address at check in in order to receive products. No paperwork is being checked to verify proof of residence during the pandemic procedures to minimize contact.

Products are provided pre-bagged to minimize contact and reduce time inside the building. Each week the bag will contain soap, paper towel, and toilet tissue, plus another toiletry item in rotation. There will also be one of the three cleaners (dish soap, laundry soap, all-purpose cleaner) to take. Feminine products are always available, and we try to have lip balm as well.

The church’s volunteer schedule has resumed, but with the new procedures, volunteer requirements are reduced to 3 or 4 workers per Thursday. For those who wish to support the pantry, you can donate to JPCM directly through our website giving app or by sending us a check in the mail with JPCM in the memo.

JPCM reopens with new social distancing procedures

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The Jackson Personal Care Ministry leadership team met via conference call this week and decided on procedures for opening the hygiene product pantry in a way that keeps volunteers and clients safe. The new procedure will have clients receive products without entering the building. Instead clients will receive pre-bagged supplies outdoors without making physical contact with volunteers. Read below for the new policies.

Supplies for March 19 include: an antibacterial spray, soap, a roll of paper towels, a roll of toilet paper, a toothbrush, and toothpaste.

Jackson Personal Care Ministry has determined that we can most safely serve our guests in the following way:

• Items will be distributed outdoors, on the Cortland Street side of First Baptist Church.
• Volunteers will record names and addresses from guests, but not handle guests’ ID.
• Volunteers having contact with guests will be fewer in number, and wear gloves.
• Items will be pre-bagged and fewer in number than usual.
• Bags will be placed on a table by volunteers, and guests will pick them up.
• Items will vary from week to week, with awareness that cleaning products and soap are very important.
• Guests will be reminded to practice social distancing while waiting in line, and when approaching the table.

These policies are unchanged from our regular practice:
• Restricted to Jackson County Residents
• 1 Person per household per week
• Hours are still Thursdays 5 to 6:30 PM, except holidays (April 9 is a holiday for churches).

As the situation changes, our practice may need to change.
Monitor the Jackson Personal Care Ministry Facebook Page for late-breaking updates.

JPCM Closure

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For the safety of its guests and volunteers, the Jackson Personal Care Ministry will be closed indefinitely as of March 11, 2020.

This decision is in keeping with the governor’s decision to cancel gatherings of 100 or more people, in order to slow the spread of COVID-19.

We hope to find a way to provide at least cleaning products and soap during this pandemic to those who depend on JPCM for these products.

For up to date information on the JPCM, follow their Facebook page.