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How the Salvation Army is battling COVID-19

Even the places designed to help us are struggling because of COVID-19.

ODESSA, Texas — It's no doubt people are struggling right now. 

But even the places designed to help others are struggling as well now because of COVID-19.

The Salvation Army in Odessa is having a harder time than usual accessing essential supplies they need and having to pay 2-3 times as much to do so. 

"We have to buy in bulk, but bulk is limited to us right now where we can only buy one or two of certain things and so that doesn't even last us sometimes the day, much less a couple days," said Captain Juan Gomez, Odessa Salvation Army president.

They've also seen an influx of people in need. Most are coming for food boxes, referrals and seeking help with bills.  

"That shelter, it could very easily become a petri dish for just the common influenza or cold and so at times like this what we have to do is we have to make sure we take that extra precaution," Gomez said. 

These extra precautions include pre-screening, sanitizing more than normal, spacing beds further apart and highly encouraging hand washing before coming into the building.

COVID-19 even shut down their thrift store on March 26, 2020 for two weeks because they weren't generating enough revenue. 

"I think one thing that COVID-19 has done is it's united us in a whole bunch of different ways, whether it's in anxiety, whether it's in fear, whether it's in doubt, but I think it's also united us in that confidence for tomorrow and we have a common belief," Gomez said. 

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