the OCP blog
There was a simple, yet beautiful gathering at Godwin Hall last evening to remember Kurt. We laughed and cried at the stories his family and friends shared. There is so much more to a life than what what society thinks should be the norm for others. Kurt struggled...
Homelessness and Social Distancing in the Time of COVID
by Eric Olson-Getty By now most of us have become accustomed to the recommended practices for preventing the spread of COVID-19: washing hands, wearing masks, and of course “social distancing,” a.k.a. staying at least 6 feet apart from other people. Recommendations on...
It takes a Community to provide Housing for the Homeless
By Sam Nickels, Exec. Director at OCP How can someone obey the governor’s orders to “shelter-at-home” when they are homeless and must leave the shelter at 7am each morning? OCP’s top case management goal right now is to find apartments and rooms and houses for as many...
Featuring spirits of volunteerism in Covid-19 Era
By Leons Kabongo, OCP volunteer coordinator and gardens manager Ladies and Gentlemen, OCP was in a volunteer crunch as we wrestled with ramping up and re-adapting to meet the overwhelming challenges of a global pandemic. Then they stepped forward. A new breed of OCP...
Finances at OCP during the Pandemic
Recently, OCP was interviewed by The Citizen, Harrisonburg’s online local news source, about our finances during the pandemic. Here are our responses…. How is OCP weathering the financial times? Right away, OCP applied for and received funding from the...
What has OCP been up to during the pandemic?
What has OCP been up to during the pandemic?By Sam Nickels, Exec. Director at OCP Since March, OCP has gone through a major transformation. Like a butterflyemerging slowly from a cocoon, OCP has evolved into a new creature. But ourmission and vision remain the same:...
In Response to DNR story “Hotels Used to Help Homeless Self-Isolate” (May 15, 2020
The DNR story “Hotels Used to Help Homeless Self-Isolate” (May 15, 2020) was full of inaccuracies. Below I address these issues. The City Dept of Transportation is not involved in the hotel programs. The City provides funding for one hotel, where a handful of people...
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU
How do we begin to thank everyone who has donated to OCP? Thanks to our donors for keeping our staff paid!Thanks to the volunteer who put out the word and got 2 dozen neighbors to donate turkeys that were in their deep freezers.Thanks to our new “food delivery...
Housing is Healthcare!
Housing is healthcare! Like our sister agency The Haven in Charlottesville, we note that HOUSING is the best protection against COVID-19. For homeless persons, socially isolating and sheltering in place is hard to impossible. Recently, it appears that the...
Housing Is Healthcare!
Housing is healthcare! Like our sister agency The Haven in Charlottesville, we note that HOUSING is the best protection against COVID-19. For homeless persons, socially isolating and sheltering in place is hard to impossible. Recently, it appears that the...
Thank Yous!
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU How do we begin to thank everyone who has donated to OCP? Thanks to our donors for keeping our staff paid!Thanks to the volunteer who put out the word and got 2 dozen neighbors to donate turkeys that...
