While countless hotels shut down due to the coronavirus, one mother worked hard to keep the hotel she owns open during the pandemic. And she and the staff are not keeping it open for regular guests: they are using the rooms to help keep the homeless safe during the COVID-19 outbreak!
Brave Staff Members
The Fownes Hotel in Worcester, England, was almost forced to shut down completely when the first wave of coronavirus hit the country. However, the hotel’s assistant manager Julie Merrick quickly sprung into action. To keep the homeless off the street and safe, the hotel started allowing them into the rooms, completely free of charge. “Our new guests have been lovely and grateful for the support they had been given and treat their rooms with respect,” Merrick said. “We stayed open simply because we wanted to help.”
“We’re the only hotel in Worcester doing this. Everybody else closed their doors,” she added. “My staff are very brave. They have gone above their job role, absolutely. It has brought us all closer together as a team.” Now, the people staying at the Fownes have started to find ways to give back to Merrick and her incredible staff…
Helping Free Of Charge
When the whole process started, Merrick made sure her staff would not be in any danger. Every member of the staff team has special medical gloves, face masks and aprons, and that’s probably why there are no new cases reported. Now, the hotel is housing 45 men and women who previously slept on the street, keeping them safe from COVID-19.
Of course, the staff’s kindness did not go unnoticed by the new guests of the hotel. The men and women staying at the Fownes started showing their gratitude by helping around the hotel. Some gardened, others cleaned rooms, while others did handyman work, all in payment for their rooms! For instance, Eddie Boult, one of the homeless staying at the Fownes, worked as a bricklayer in the past. So, as a thank you, he laid a wall and patio for the hotel! “I did it because I was bored but also as a thank you to the staff. They’ve really looked after me,” he said.
Love And Care
Another guest, 48-year-old Peter Swinbourne (above), stated that the Fownes Hotel saved his life. After being in the streets for around 25 years, he thought he would never feel loved or cared for again. “I have never slept in a double bed before,” he said. “I’m happy here—this is a five-star hotel putting up homeless people.” Terence Marriott, a 55-year-old homeless man, has been in the hotel for six weeks. “I have been well looked after. It has been excellent. The food is also excellent,” he said. “I feel a lot healthier than when I came in.”
In order to help these guests even after they leave, the Fownes also partnered with a local homeless charity. At the hotel, they’ve had workshops and discussions on mental health, how to return to society, find a job, a place to live, and other topics. Meanwhile, the hotel is strictly alcohol and drug-free at the moment.
Believe it or not, as incredible as this sounds, coronavirus is not the first time Merrick has helped those less fortunate with her hotel. Last February, she allowed 30 people to stay there for free when floods destroyed their homes. Talk about an incredibly kind soul!
Sources: Good News Network, Moms Magazine.