We Are All in This Together

BY POOJA SETHI

How Six Women Are Helping to Care for Austin’s Homeless Population

In Austin, approximately 2,500 people are without any sort of home. Austin’s homeless numbers have gone up in recent years due to social issues. Moreover, this number is expected to increase due to the coronavirus. The effects of the virus—which spreads through airborne particles transmitted from person to person—has caused most cities and states in the U.S. to issue “stay-at-home” orders requiring all non-essential businesses to temporarily close. In some cases, a stay-at-home order may include fines for residents who are out for non-essential tasks or activities.

In Austin, Mayor Steve Adler issued a stay-at-home order on March 24 to enforce social distancing. This order shut down non-essential retail shops and most businesses, and people were told to work from home. In addition, restaurants can only serve food to-go or for delivery. This order has caused restaurants, shops, and some businesses to fire, lay off, or furlough staff. As a result, the rates of unemployment and homelessness have begun to rise rapidly. According to public radio station KUT, the unemployment rate in Austin is projected to be almost 25 percent by the summer months.

The Quaranteam has partnered with Austin EMS Association; contacted restaurants and community members to donate meals; and donated meals, masks, and tents to members of our unhoused population.

Resources set up to help the homeless in Austin, including food banks and shelters, have now been forced to shut down in order to contain the virus. As a result, those who are without a permanent home or access to home or access to food or supplies needed to take a shower now have greater difficulty in obtaining these resources. Lost along with these resources is a sense of security for individuals experiencing homelessness in the midst of the pandemic. A group of Austin women are helping to care for the homeless in our community.

In March 2020, Austin Bar member Pooja Sethi, after speaking to her friend and Austin EMS Association President Selena Xie, realized that in the new world of COVID-19, there was a gap in how some members of our communities can access food. Concerned, Sethi contacted other women about helping those who are food-insecure. They formed a group called the “Quaranteam”—comprised of Sethi, fellow Austin Bar member Margaret Chen Kercher, Austin Bar President-Elect Kennon Wooten, Julie Ann Nitsch, CJ Zhao, and Ashley Cheng. These women took the initiative to step in and help replace resources lost for the homeless population. The first mission started with Wooten making peanut butter sandwiches to feed those without access to food. The Quaranteam escalated from there. They have partnered with Austin EMS Association; contacted restaurants and community members to donate meals; and donated meals, masks, and tents to members of our unhoused population.

(L-R from top) The “Quaranteam”: Pooja Sethi, Julie Ann Nitsch, Kennon Wooten, Margaret Chen Kercher, CJ Zhao, and Ashley Cheng.

Kennon Wooten’s daughter, Linden, helping her mom write notes to put inside tents.

EMS Association President Selena Xie with Zaika Indian Restaurant staff.

EMS worker Amber Price accepting donations at the Sobering Center of Austin.

Pooja Sethi bringing food and water to a downtown church.

In order to have a healthy community, we need to care for those who are the most vulnerable. Quaranteam members have worked to achieve this goal, and these volunteers exemplify the Austin spirit of “we are all in this together.”

Sethi recalls one of her favorite Quaranteam missions: Delivering Easter baskets to a church in downtown Austin for children whose families have lost their homes. Nitsch and Constable Stacy Suits have delivered food to shelters housing the homeless. Cheng has worked with Chinatown restaurant to provide hundreds of meals to the homeless. In addition to Chinatown, the Quaranteam has received donations from Zaika Indian Cuisine, Shu Shu’s Restaurant, and Emojis Grilled Cheese Bar. These restaurants have dedicated time and space to helping the homeless—including making as many as 80 meals in a single weekend. Wooten added tents to the Quaranteam’s mission. She collected more than 20 tents to give to our Austin residents without homes, and enlisted her daughter to write notes of hope to place inside each one. Finally, Zhao and Kercher have been giving essential masks to a number of organizations in town, including Front Steps and the Travis County Correctional Complex.

In order to have a healthy community, we need to care for those who are the most vulnerable. Quaranteam members have worked to achieve this goal, and these volunteers exemplify the Austin spirit of “we are all in this together.” Quaranteam members have delivered food almost every day since the stay-at-home order was issued, and hundreds of meals have been given across Austin to feed our unhoused population. Although this response is a mere drop in the bucket compared to the many needs that still exist, the Quaranteam’s outreach efforts prove that our community is strongest when united together in helping those in need.

Won’t you lend a hand too? There are many in our community who need help during the pandemic. Contact any one of the organizations that are working hard to meet those needs and ask how you can get involved. Not only will you be assisting others, you just might find that the simple act of caring for someone else gives you a sense of purpose and meaning that will help you navigate the stress and anxiety most of us are experiencing today. AL

Pooja Sethi

Pooja Sethi is an immigration attorney with her own practice. She also provides pro bono services to immigrant clients who are victims of sexual assault and domestic violence.