ASHLAND, Ky. — The Dressing Room in Ashland will reopen Monday at 10 a.m., though restrictions and precautions made necessary by the COVID-19 pandemic will be in effect including the wearing of masks and social distancing.
Tammy McIntyre said the organization is excited to be open again to provide much needed assistance to many Tri-State residents.
McIntyre said The Dressing Room might have been closed to the public for the past two months due to the restrictions, but they have not been idle. During those two months, she and another employee have been thoroughly cleaning and sanitizing everything in preparation of reopening. “We’ve been cleaning and moving everything out, so we are ready to go,” McIntyre said.
“We are starting out with four work stations run by volunteers,” McIntyre said. That number, McIntyre said, will allow plenty of room to maintain social distancing. And if more people volunteer, then there is a plan in place to utilize a storage space as well, which can be blocked off to maintain the safety of both workers and patrons. Everyone will enter through the front door, where a volunteer will be taking everyone’s temperature. Services are appointment-only, based on the first letter of the patron’s last name around a four-day week, with Wednesdays off to allow for a deep cleaning. A through L will be seen on Mondays and Thursdays, and M through Z on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Temporarily, as the Dressing Room moves into the reopening phase, McIntyre said they are going to limit donations to three bags at a time. This limit, she said, will allow for everything to be properly sorted and sanitized.