GiveABQ is COVID-19 safe

Photo was taken before the pandemic

First, we would love to thank the Albuquerque Journal for running a story (Nov. 7) about our need for furniture donations at GiveABQ. We are working hard, with the city of Albuquerque and other local nonprofits, to make sure people experiencing homeless can set up homes and develop a more stable life. We can’t do that without furniture donations.

Second, we would like to respond to the criticism of the photo we provided the Journal about our program. A local doctor chimed in, via the editorial page, to express his distress that the people didn’t have masks on in the photo that appeared with our story. We wanted to make it clear that the picture provided was taken before the pandemic and that all Adelante programs, including GiveABQ, are following all of the recommended health protocols. We know it is important for the community, and especially for our clients, both people with disabilities and seniors, who are most at risk for this virus. Our teams are wearing masks, staying 6 feet apart, and we take temperatures and symptom surveys on our employees every shift. Adelante is N.M. Safe Certified and has worked since March to make sure we are staying on top of health orders for the safety of all of our clients, volunteers and staff members.

GiveABQ is following the extra steps of limiting exposure on donation pickups. For example, while one team member drives the donation truck, another is following them in a personal vehicle so they can remain 6 feet apart as much as possible — They can’t be 6 feet apart in a truck cab! In addition, the marketing staff has been working from home and limiting trips out to locations to keep everyone safer, which is why we didn’t have a really current photo to provide when one was needed near press time. Though the Journal offered to take one, many of the recent homes we have helped to set up were families pulled apart by domestic violence. If you are a mom fleeing an abusive situation, you certainly don’t want your photo in the paper identifying you and potentially showing someone where you now live.

So, yes, we had a photo with no masks. However, we wanted to assure any potential donors, and the Journal readers including Dr. Douglas Binder, that we greatly care about the health situation we all find ourselves in, and that our operations are being done as safely as we can manage. We understand the need for and will continue to follow the mask mandate and all the health orders. We apologize for any issues our photo with no masks caused.