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Stanislaus County Framework Adds Housing For The Harvest
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Stanislaus County has added the Housing for the Harvest program to its existing COVID-19 response framework made up of a multi-disciplinary coalition of county agencies, community-based organizations, health partners, and contracted vendors.

Together, this coalition will deliver effective outreach and education, COVID-19 testing, and access to food, shelter, essential supplies, and resources that support eligible individuals and families who have been adversely impacted by the Coronavirus.

The County strives to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and achieve greater health equity within the community by collaborating with its partners to connect with those in need and ensure no one is left behind. Agricultural workers and food processors are a valued and critical part of the community and economy.

The Housing for the Harvest program will provide support for these workers, their families, and employers to realize a healthy harvest and access to services to help overcome the effects of this pandemic.

“At a time when COVID-19 has hurt a lot of people and the economy, we have to work harder to protect our most vulnerable populations,” said Kristin Olsen, Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman.

“In the Central Valley we rely heavily on our agriculture workers to feed not just our region, but the world,” added Olsen. “So it is critical we work to keep that essential workforce healthy and strong. We think this program will be important to achieving that goal.”

The Public Health Department will deploy mobile COVID-19 testing teams staffed by multi-cultural nurses who are committed to safeguarding the confidentiality of participants. They will also provide access to resources that can assist with protective measures against exposure to, and transmission of the Coronavirus. Participation is free, and participants may access their confidential test results by calling the Public Health line at: (209) 558-5678. The Care and Shelter team will assist eligible participants referred by a Public Health official or other medical professional with access to temporary shelter, food, essential items, and linkage to other public assistance programs or services.

The Stanislaus County COVID-19 Call Center is the primary point of contact for information and will have bi-lingual phone agents on hand to provide information. Contact the call center at (209) 558-7535 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For information outside business hours, call 2-1-1 where a phone agent can direct callers to the appropriate resources. Information may also be found at the Stanislaus County Health Services Agency website: http://schsa.org/publichealth/pages/corona-virus/.