1.19.22: Call for Volunteers - Isolation Housing/Relocating Students & Belongings

A messages sent to members of the Lehigh community.

Dear Colleagues,

As students arrive for the spring semester and complete their arrival testing, we anticipate a high number of positive COVID cases in the coming days. While most students who test positive will be isolating in place, some students will still need to be relocated to isolation housing. We also have some additional needs related to handing out arrival COVID tests. If you sign up to be a volunteer, you may be asked to help in a variety of ways. We are grateful for the assistance our volunteers are able and willing to provide.

Given low temperatures and wintry conditions, COVID-positive students will need assistance in moving to isolation housing on campus over the next two weeks. Isolation housing is located on campus in Trembley Park Apartments. See this campus map for the location. Students and volunteers are required to wear masks at all times.

There are two types of assistance you might provide:

Tier 1 Volunteer: Drive Lehigh-provided vehicle with student belongings only (not the student) to isolation housing (Trembley Park). Wait for student to arrive. Students will be responsible for taking their belongings into isolation housing. You may also be asked to distribute COVID test kits to students picking them up at LUPD if needed.

Tier 2 Volunteer (highest need): Drive Lehigh-provided van with a plexiglass divider to transport both the COVID-positive student (who will be seated in the rear of the van) and their belongings to isolation housing (Trembley Park). Students will be responsible for taking their belongings into isolation housing. Vehicles will be disinfected between uses. You may also be asked to distribute COVID test kits to students picking them up at LUPD if needed.

You can sign up for any of these volunteer roles at this link. Please report to LUPD (321 E. Packer Ave.) for all volunteer roles.

Other Volunteer Opportunities

You can find additional opportunities to volunteer—including delivering meals to students in isolation, contact tracing and helping to staff a phone bank—on the Volunteering in a Crisis site.

Thank you for your consideration and for any assistance you can provide during this challenging time.

Nathan Urban, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

Chris Halladay, Associate Vice President, Human Resources