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Avalon Reopens Shelter After Battling BedbugsBy Amber Lester Kennedy Saturday, March 19, 2011 Avalon reopened its emergency shelter Friday, 10 days after a bedbug infestation forced the nonprofit to close its doors. Avalon celebrated its newly cleaned facility with a tour and rededication ceremony Friday afternoon, before welcoming back its residents, battered and homeless women and children. Avalon helps women regain their footing to become self-sufficient, and its campus includes transitional housing units. The bedbug infestation struck only the emergency shelter, demanding closure and an aggressive cleaning plan. A resident was exposed to bedbugs, tiny bugs the size of apple seeds, at her job and brought them back to the shelter. Since the bedbugs were discovered, Avalon attempted to vigorously treat the problem, but the infestation became overwhelming. In order to ensure the shelter was safe for residents, Avalon closed its emergency facility on March 8. Sarah Meacham, director of Avalon, said the nonprofit relied on a team of experts in bed bug alleviation to develop a plan to treat and prevent the problem. “We disposed all of the impacted materials and then used a combination of chemical, heat and steam treatments, followed by a top to bottom cleaning,” she said. That treatment plan included disposing of all furnishings. Avalon purchased industrial-grade beds and mattresses that were then pre-treated to avoid future infestations. Community members found ways to pitch in, too. “Whether it was donated time, services or items, all of those who heard our call made it possible for us to reopen with a beautiful, safe and healthy shelter environment,” Meacham said. For security reasons, Avalon cannot share how many residents live there, but Meacham said she expects they’ll be operating at capacity within a week. During its closure, Avalon worked to help find shelter for its residents; Meacham expects all of them will be returning in the next week. In the future, Avalon will not be able to accept donations of clothing, luggage or furniture. The organization will also require incoming residents wash their belongings before entering the shelter, and will ask residents who are at risk of exposure to bed bugs to wash and dry their work clothing immediately before returning. |
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Comments
I'm just curious how you "pretreat" furniture to prevent infestation. I would love to do this, if I only knew how.