SAN ANTONIO – The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting daily operations for many local agencies, including the Children’s Shelter in San Antonio.
In spite of the difficulties, shelter officials said they’re doing the best they can to care for more than 60 children that reside at their two centers.
Anais Biera Miracle, a shelter spokeswoman, said it’s been a challenge to keep staff morale up so that team members can keep things positive for the children.
“We have such a compassionate team who really provide that level of normalcy for our kids. So they know, yes, this is just temporary,” she said.
The Children’s Shelter currently has about 70 children ranging in age from newborn to 22 years old.
The shelter is in desperate need of hand sanitizer, cleaning wipes, diapers, hygiene products, children’s underwear and clothing and homemade face masks.
Donations are accepted, but the center asks that people please ship the items instead of personally deliver them to avoid the possibility of getting infected with the coronavirus.
KSAT 12 is lending the shelter a helping hand by organizing KSAT Community Wishlist Wednesday, where members of the community are urged to make a donation to the shelter on Wednesday. The wish list includes the following items.
- Cleaning supplies (cleaning wipes, paper towels, toilet paper, Lysol spray, floor cleaner)
- Diapers
- Wipes
- Board games
- Books
- Visa gift cards
- Gift cards to local restaurants
- Apparel for children as young as infants to age 22
Here are four ways to make a donation towards The Children’s Shelter:
Make a donation via Venmo: TheChildrensShelter
Amazon wish list: amzn.to/2w9XqS7 (Deliver items to The Children’ Shelter)
Online: childrensshelter.org/donate-now
Big Give: bit.ly/2yrU5P3
KSAT Community Partners will match the first 250 donations of $10 or more with a KSAT Community “activity bag” with KSAT Community branded coloring books and supplies to help keep the children entertained.
The shelter is a 24/7 essential operation that provides care for children who have been victims of neglect or abuse.
“We do not shut down. We have been open since 1901, and in our community, we have been here to serve 119 years,” Miracle said. “And we plan to continue to provide essential services for children, young people and families.”
The shelter has more than 300 employees who continue to work through this time. And anyone who is currently furloughed is encouraged to apply for the more than a dozen job openings available with the shelter.
COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new virus, stands for coronavirus disease 2019. The disease first appeared in late 2019 in Wuhan, China, but spread around the world in early 2020, causing the World Health Organization to declare a pandemic in March.
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