How To Get Help During the COVID-19 Crisis

Cities all across the United States are doing their best to flatten the curve and limit the spread of the coronavirus, but it hasn’t come without its consequences. Schools have closed and forced children to continue their studies at home and businesses have locked their doors and laid off multiple employees. In an effort to help those in need, organizations, restaurants, and cities have created resources to aid families and individuals who are struggling during this tragedy. Here is a list of a few relief efforts from around the United States. 

Nationwide 

Free WiFi for Students
Charter Communications is offering free Spectrum Wifi for 60 days to families with children in Kindergarten through the 12th grade and college students who are stuck at home. All families have to do to enroll is call 1-844-488-8395.

The Creator Fund
Convertkit has established a 50,000 dollar fund called The Creator Fund. It’s main goal is to help creatives affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Creators can apply for the fund online. 

Adobe Creative Cloud
Adobe is making Creative Cloud free for teachers and students until May 2020. Individuals will have access to all of the creative cloud applications.

Domestic Workers Care Fund
The National Domestic Workers Alliance has set up a Coronavirus Care Fund to help domestic workers in the United States. Many workers are without health care, paid sick leave, or job security, but the fund will allow them to protect their families and communities from the COVID-19 outbreak. Individuals can donate to the fund. Those in need of assistance from the Domestic Workers Alliance can apply for their $5 a month membership.

National Domestic Violence Hotline
Individuals in dangerous home situations can contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or chat with them at thehotline.org.

SweetGreen for Hospital Workers
Sweetgreen is providing hospital workers and medical personnel with salads as a way to say thank you for their service. Hospitals can apply for outpost delivery online. 

Los Angeles 

Street Vendor Emergency Fund
Inclusion Action for the City has partnered with the East LA Community Corporation and Public Counsel to create the Street Vendor Emergency Fund—a fund that will provide $400 to street vendors who are not able to access government resources. To learn more about the fund and to donate, click here. 

DACA Virtual Appointments
The Coalition for Humane Immigrants Rights – Los Angeles (CHIRLA) will be holding virtual DACA clinic appointments. The registration is open to 30 appointments and available to California residents who have access to CHIRLA offices in Pacoima, Los Angeles, South Orange County, Sacramento, El Sereno, and Porterville. You can apply at the following link. 

Rent Payments
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has signed an order that will protect renters from evictions during the city’s emergency response period. Tenants will have to prove that workplace closure, child care expenses, extra family expenses, and health care expenses impacted by the pandemic have affected their ability to pay their monthly rent. Renter will have six months after March 31st to pay their overdue fees. 

Meals
The Attic in Long Beach – Local restaurant The Attic in Long Beach is offering free burritos to children in the Long Beach area and special order family meals from 9 am to 4 pm. Families can place orders at 562-433-0153.

LAUSD Grab and Go Food Centers – The Los Angeles  Unified School District has opened up 60 ‘Grab and Go’ Food Centers for students and is providing them with two meals per day. The centers began on Wednesday, March 18th and will run from 7 am to 10 am.

EveryTable – EveryTable believes that healthy food is a human right and will be providing families and individuals in the Los Angeles area with healthy, affordable meals that are available for curbside pick up. All families have to do is call the EveryTable Helpline at 323-458-6487.

New York 

Child Care
The city of New York will be opening about 100 child care centers across the five boroughs for children of emergency service, health care, and transit workers. Children from Kindergarten to 12th grade will be provided with remote learning and meals from 7:30 am to 6 pm. New York children under 18 years of age will be able to pick up free meals at specified child care centers. 

Meals
Restaurants around the city like Bessou, Mala Project, Da Toscano, Junzi Kitchen, Little Alley, and more will also be providing New Yorkers in need with meals throughout the city. A full list can be found here. 

Rent
New York officials have suspended non-criminal eviction proceedings and pending orders for residential and commercial properties for 90-days. Rent relief will be on a case by case basis, depending on each individual landlord. For more information click here. 

Undocumented Workers
Taiwanese-American restaurant, Win Son has launched a fund to support undocumented employees in the restaurant industry. The fund has raised over $5,000 and will be split amongst all of the restaurant’s employees as they continue to raise enough to match the benefits of documented workers. Numerous funds have popped up all across New York City to aid bartenders and restaurant employees. Click here for a full list. 

Seattle, Washington 

Meals
King County and the city of Seattle will be issuing a total of 20, $20 vouchers to families over the next two months. These vouchers are only to be used at Washington Safeway stores.  

Seattle Public Schools will be distributing lunches at 26 school sites daily from 11 am to 1 pm. 

The Northwest Harvest SODO Community Market will be pre-bagging produce and preparing groceries for individuals of any age. They can be picked up at the door to avoid further contact. 

Rent
Residential evictions and utility bills have been put on hold during the city’s emergency response period. Utility bills will also be reduced by 50 percent for individual households. 

The city of Seattle and King County in Washington have done a great job of creating an online database for their residents to learn about all of the resources available to them during this time. You can click here for a full rundown. 

Austin, Texas 

Meal Services
Local school districts in Austin, Texas will be providing students with meals. Organizations like Meals on Wheels and the Austin Parks and Recreation Department will also be distributing 10 meals per person to senior citizens. 

Rent and Utilities
Austin renters will not be evicted from their homes during the city’s emergency response time. Eviction hearings will not take place until April 1, 2020. Utilities through Austin Energy will not be disconnected during this time period. 

HealthCare
Individuals without health insurance will be able to get tested for COVID-19 by contacting CommUnity Care Health Centers. The center will direct patients to proper locations where they will be able to avoid the potential spread of the coronavirus.

Did we miss any? Send us a message at contact-us@bese.com. We’ll continue updating you as we learn about more resources. 

Lead image by: Charles Deluvio via Unsplash