The previous night, Ryan s daughter Pamela Cooper, 49, had worked a shift of more than 15 hours at Phoenix s 911 dispatch center. Cooper was a 20-year veteran of the dispatch center, but it was her first week back after six weeks recovering from COVID-19. She was still feeling unwell but was out of paid leave and supporting both her mother, a widow on social security, and her husband, whose unemployment has run out.
“She said, I got to work to pay the bills, Ryan remembers.
Courtesy of Shirley Ryan
The first few days were difficult, but on Friday, February 26, Cooper really started to go downhill.
Phoenix soon may have more shelters for people experiencing homelessness thanks in part to the COVID-19 relief funds provided to the city by the federal government.
In February, the Phoenix City Council voted to set aside $14 million in federal funds to purchase or improve up to four homeless shelters.
This is the first substantial financial commitment for new homeless shelters in recent years.
The shelter money will be awarded to nonprofits through a city application process later this year, but the council made clear that it would like to see smaller shelters committed to helping specialized populations such as older adults, people with medical conditions or veterans.