KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Knox Area Rescue Ministries serves hundreds of people per day who are experiencing homelessness. They provide people with meals and some stay in KARM’s shelters.

Officials said they are taking more steps to serve the community, installing new technology in ventilation systems to protect people from COVID-19. They recently installed CASPR Group’s disinfection technology, which they said treas and reduces 99.96% of airborne and surface pathogens.

Officials said that the new technology will help them save time and manpower, giving them more resources to continue helping people.

“With KARM, when they were doing the periodic spraying, those were treatments that could be contaminated again,” said Adam Scott, who works with Complete Disinfector Solutions. “Our units run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. So, the disinfecting of the air and the surfaces never stop.”

Officials said they purchased the technology from Complete Disinfector Solutions.

“With the CASPR system and the other things that we do here, we’re able to continue serving every guest here that comes through our doors and we hope to continue to do that for as long as we can,” said Steven Clabough, KARM’s Vice President of Operations.

While the purchase may have helped them find more time to help people, they said they are also still looking for donations. Officials said they are looking for shampoo, razors, shaving cream, toothbrushes, socks, underwear, backpacks and twin-sized sheets.

A wishlist is available online for anyone who wants to donate. They should be shipped to “Mindy Rector, KARM, 418 North Broadway, Knoxville, TN 37917.”