BARRIE -- As conditions surrounding COVID-19 continue to change daily, emergency shelters are working day-to-day to be proactive amid the public health crisis.
The situation is impacting some of the most vulnerable people who rely on food banks and social support services.
The Sharing Place Food Centre in Orillia has temporarily suspended operations "while we put into place new procedures that will allow us to operate during this pandemic," reads the centre's website.
"We just want to build up our procedures and our plan during this time to minimize any spread that could occur," explains executive director Chris Peacock.
At the Barrie Food bank, hampers will contain the same items for the time being as volunteers prepare pre-packaged bags.
The Barrie Food bank serves more than 2,500 clients every month, and officials say that while the shelves are stocked today, that won't be the case in just two weeks without donations.
In downtown Barrie, services for the city's less fortunate are slowing shutting down at the Salvation Army.
"We've had to restrict some access to the building and reduce the amount of people in it," says Captain Stephanie Watkinson. "Over the weekend, we made the tough decision to change our community meal and hand-out bag meals instead of having community members come into our building."
Officials from emergency shelters met on Monday to figure out what comes next amid the pandemic, so no one is left behind.
