CINCINNATI — Bengals coach Zac Taylor donated $20,000 to City Gospel Mission homeless shelter on Saturday and ordered a shipment of books and games to help keep its 74 guests entertained during quarantine.
It would be a generous donation under any circumstances. It’s especially impactful during the COVID-19 outbreak, when charitable organizations face a potentially precarious future.
“Our main need is financial donations because of the uncertainty of future support in the weeks/months ahead,” City Gospel Mission director Tim Curtis said.
Taylor’s donation is a start. Curtis said Taylor also placed an online order for 60 items, including crossword collections and books of sudoku puzzles, that guests can enjoy while maintaining a safe social distance from one another.
The shelter has moved half its guests into the Clarion Hotel in Sharonville to reduce crowding in its main West End facility.
"Even though we're in crisis, the call hasn't changed," Roger Howell, president of City Gospel Mission, said Friday. "Our staff is committed to helping people."
Anyone wishing to make a donation to City Gospel Mission can donate cash online or email cjones@citygospelmission.org to arrange a donation of physical goods.
Curtis said the shelter’s most-needed items, aside from money, are thermometers, bleach, gloves, disinfectant spray, wipes, hand sanitizer and paper towels.
