# Homeless shelters during Covid and monkeypox



## 00kissmarrykick00 (Aug 24, 2022)

Hey gang,

A lot of my traveling is pre-covid, and I'm about to travel during covid and monkeypox. I'm used to staying in shelters, and even though homeless shelters have a bad reputation, most of the ones I've stayed in have been decent. We have pretty much normalized covid, but monkey pox is now rearing its ugly head. Homeless shelters have been my go-to, and any shelter is a great shelter as a layover to a place to stay with someone.

If you have monkeypox, you know it. Covid-19 can be carried asymptomatically.

I just want to see how people are feeling about homeless shelters, right now, for those of us that utilize homeless shelters in our travels. If you would rather do anything else then utilize a homeless shelter, this thread isn't for you.

I look forward to people's input!​


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## Diggerff12 (Aug 25, 2022)

I was a case manager in a shelter in Indio during the height of the pandemic and now that restrictions are being lifted they should be being less restrictive


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## Gin (Aug 27, 2022)

A lot of them won't let un jabbed people in...


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## Usagi (Aug 28, 2022)

Depends on the area. Where I live currently most places have dropped the covid stuff and I rarely see people wearing masks anymore. The few shelters we had closed down a couple of years ago and have not re-opened. Our homebums have been pushed back out into the streets.

I know of a few that maintain a membership at Planet Fitness now. They have showers and serve food during breakfast and lunch. It costs about $10-$20 a month. You can use it anywhere and most cities and towns have at least one location now. The food is decent. Donuts and pizza everyday. That's their business plan. They fill you up on food on the way out so you'll keep coming back in an attempt to lose the weight.

No one knows where the homebums will go this winter. Last winter they were taken in by a temp. shelter that has shut it doors. I think the Salvation Army still has cots but it's a long waiting list to get in. I've never seen so many homebums in this area. We used to have one or two local guys and a couple of kids would come through every few weeks. Now they're everywhere. I even see multiple people flying signs everyday now. Always near the wal-mart or strip mall the Planet Fitness is located at.

If I were you I'd plan on bringing a small shelter. A one person tent might be a good investment. I'd also plan on staying further south where it's warm over the winter. The home bum population has exploded everywhere I've visited in the last year or so. Lots of people that weren't out there before covid have been forced out. There aren't as many resources available as there used to be.

By the way from what I can tell Planet Fitness is open 24/7. So it's a good place to get out of the heat or cold at night. They won't let you sleep inside but at least you can warm up and get clean. I know the local one here is letting people work under the table. One guy even got a cot. But it isn't something you should expect.


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## Usagi (Aug 28, 2022)

I know I'm long winded but I thought I'd talk about some other places to go. Namely churches. This might not hold as true out west but where I live the church has been picking up a lot of the slack. A couple in my area have opened up and started allowing people to sleep in them during the week. You're expected to attend services twice a week and do some labor in return. Easy stuff like mowing the grass and helping them maintain the property and building. Most are not overly pushy about religion. You don't have to pretend that you want to be saved or anything. Most will help you if you come and ask for the help. They're more giving to younger people of course. But most places are.

What is happening in our area is the larger cities are giving people one-way bus tickets to our town. They dump them on the streets here and it's starting to strain our resources. So it's getting harder and harder for people that really need help to find it. Three years ago we had one well known home bum and the odd kid passing through. Now there are tweakers walking around at all hours of the night. Kids flying signs everywhere and people sleeping in the streets openly. Last week I saw a guy high out of his mind praying to a painting behind a local strip mall. I thought about offering him some tobacco, weed, and money. But he freaked me out so bad that I decided not to approach him. I'm used to dealing with all manner of crazy and this guy just had a bad look about him.

Another place I've noticed a lot of people camping out is the Sheetz gas station. They are open all night and have places to sit outside with access to electricity. The food is pretty cheap. The manager has been helping them out by paying them in cash and food for doing things like sweeping the parking lot and cleaning up cigarette butts. But the spot is quickly getting blown up and he'll probably have to stop doing that soon.

I guess what I'm trying to say is there are less open beds than people even out here in small town nowhere. It would be prudent of you to carry some type of shelter with you and learning how to stealth camp. Even a tarp would be better than nothing. You might have more luck asking around on here or on social media for an open couch instead of relying on shelters. If all else fails start going to churches. You shouldn't have much trouble finding a place to stay for the night if you do that. Most churches will try to feed you at the very least and there is almost always one person attending with an open bed. Try not to screw it up for the next person.


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## Usagi (Aug 28, 2022)

Triple posting but fuck it.

I am considering doing this myself so I thought I'd add. If you're interested in Buddhism look around for local temples in the area you're going to. Most allow outsiders to stay for a week or so. Again, you'll be expected to work and participate. But they'll feed you and give you a warm place to sleep in return. Perhaps you'll decide to stay long term and find a forever home. Or you can establish a relationship with them and jump from temple to temple during your travels.

I am considering joining full time. I stayed at one for a few nights and really enjoyed it. I'm just not ready to uproot my entire life and devote it to religious study yet. The lifestyle might not appeal to you. But it's an option if you have nowhere else to go.


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## sevedemanos (Aug 28, 2022)

what the hell is monkeypox?

avoid shelters.

period.

but maybe youre one of those people.


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## sevedemanos (Aug 28, 2022)

Usagi said:


> Triple posting but fuck it.
> 
> I am considering doing this myself so I thought I'd add. If you're interested in Buddhism look around for local temples in the area you're going to. Most allow outsiders to stay for a week or so. Again, you'll be expected to work and participate. But they'll feed you and give you a warm place to sleep in return. Perhaps you'll decide to stay long term and find a forever home. Or you can establish a relationship with them and jump from temple to temple during your travels.
> 
> I am considering joining full time. I stayed at one for a few nights and really enjoyed it. I'm just not ready to uproot my entire life and devote it to religious study yet. The lifestyle might not appeal to you. But it's an option if you have nowhere else to go.



that lifestyle appeals to me but everything being closed during super scary flu time certainly doesnt. how longs their waiting process like 3 years? yeah, umm no thx.

could literally meditate while flying a sign ffs


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## Usagi (Aug 29, 2022)

sevedemanos said:


> how longs their waiting process like 3 years? yeah, umm no thx.



What gave you that idea? In my experience every temple is different. Maybe the one you went to had a long waiting list because so many people are trying to get in. The one I went to doesn't have a waiting list or any set time to join.

If you ask if you can stay for awhile as an outsider they'll make a decision as a group. If the group decides they'll let you stay they'll usually give you 2 weeks-2 months. In that time you're expected to contribute by taking part in whatever they're doing, helping in the garden, helping prepare meals, helping out with cleaning, sleeping on the schedule they dictate etc. After a month or so you can make the decision to stay full time. From there they'll start teaching you the things you need to know if you want to become a monk or whatever.

They aren't in there meditating all day. It's a part of it but they do a lot of other things as a group. The one I went to spent much of the day tending to the garden. Everything they ate came from that garden. Meat was never served. On the weekends lots of outsiders came for services. Now and again we'd go into the outside communities to attend events or set-up events. The monks would bring their pots and beg/take up donations.

Every temple is a little different. Each community has some leeway in how they set the rules. It's kind of like the Amish. If there is a long waiting list at your local temple try traveling to another. Where I live is considered the middle of nowhere and there are 7 temples near me within driving distance. Anywhere there is a large Asian community you'll find them. In my are some cater to Chinese, others to Thai, and the one I went to was people mostly from Laos.

But all that aside I mainly mentioned them because they are usually helpful and caring towards the lonely traveler. Assuming you show them respect and don't try to shit the place up. Temples around me are open and have been for a long time now. I think most didn't close for covid at all. Maybe they did in the first few months but not since summer 2020.

Covid was never a big deal here. We didn't have toilet paper shortages. Lots of people never bothered wearing masks. The businesses that tried to enforce the mask thing lost a lot of customers over it. No one cared for the most part. Most people did not go in to get shots. All the large businesses with covid shot mandates can not find anyone to staff local locations. I can't remember the last time the fast food places had their dining rooms opened. They barely have enough staff to work the drive-thru. Tons of people out of work willing to take any job but unable to get hired anywhere because of the covid shot mandates. They're not going to take it no matter how bad things get. At this point they're full of spite and sick of hearing about it. I know more than one person that nearly died from covid that refused the shots. Two local large businesses had to fire 800+ people because they all refused to take the shot. They have not been able to re-staff those locations and one of them has already been forced to move.

Some of our churches closed down over one summer. But they've all been re-opened since Fall 2020. Very few people died from covid here and very few people caught it. But no one knows for sure because most people here refused to take the tests. Our local hospital and Government tried to scare monger with covid for about 2 months in 2020. No one bought it and they stopped. Lots of them failed to win re-election over it. Sheriff refused to enforce any mandates or covid laws. If MSM didn't exist we wouldn't have known covid was a thing.

If you're sick of things being closed travel to the mid-west, south, and small towns all over America. The covid stuff is mainly a problem in the cities. In small town America we've moved on from it long ago.


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## sevedemanos (Aug 29, 2022)

Usagi said:


> What gave you that idea? In my experience every temple is different. Maybe the one you went to had a long waiting list because so many people are trying to get in. The one I went to doesn't have a waiting list or any set time to join.
> 
> If you ask if you can stay for awhile as an outsider they'll make a decision as a group. If the group decides they'll let you stay they'll usually give you 2 weeks-2 months. In that time you're expected to contribute by taking part in whatever they're doing, helping in the garden, helping prepare meals, helping out with cleaning, sleeping on the schedule they dictate etc. After a month or so you can make the decision to stay full time. From there they'll start teaching you the things you need to know if you want to become a monk or whatever.
> 
> ...



i was searching through this site for a long time 






Vipassana Meditation







www.dhamma.org





was looking all over the states. eventually, when i was ready, i went back to the site to decide which i was going to go to. saw that everyone was closed for the covid holiday and gave up.

sounds kinda petty, but the fact they dont eat meat is the only waffling factor for me. i dont feel healthy when the meals are all vegan. cant work as hard etc.

eugene oregon turned into a ghost town for quite a while there. nobody was hiring, nobody at the bus stations.. libraries closed, soup kitchens closed. found myself hitting the whisky and just staring into space most the time. it was pretty ridiculous.


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## 00kissmarrykick00 (Aug 30, 2022)

I'm putting this thread back on track by reiterating that if you don't like the utilization of shelters this post isn't for you. Please respect that boundary.

Second of all, and unhoused person that I know more personally has a Planet Fitness account because not all Planet fitnesses are created equal. In some places a membership is more convenient to get, and in other places they can be super strict.

Also, this thread isn't about Planet Fitness or getting a gym membership. This thread is about shelters.​


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