COVID-19 Resources for the 5th Suffolk Community

Multilingual Text Service Updates For Covid-19 From City Of Boston: Residents can text BOSCOVID to 99411 to opt-in to alerts in English and the following keywords to opt-in to alerts in the languages below: 

• Text BOSEspanol to 99411 for Spanish (español)
• Text BOSKreyol to 99411 for Haitian Creole (kreyòl ayisyen)
• Text BOSFrancais to 99411 for French (français)
• Text BOSKriolu to 99411 for Cabo Verdean Creole (Kriolu)
• Text BOSPortugues to 99411 for Portuguese (português)

Residents who have questions are encouraged to call 311 to be connected with a telephonic interpreter, or through the Mayor’s Health Line at (617) 534-5050. 

Updates in 10 total languages can additionally be accessed through boston.gov/coronavirus#multilingual-help. 

Each language has its own page and hosts multilingual print materials distributed citywide: 

• عربى: boston.gov/covid-19-ar 
• Cabo Verdean Creole/Kriolu: boston.gov/covid-19-cv
• 中文: boston.gov/covid-19-zh
• español: boston.gov/covid-19-es
• Soomaali: boston.gov/covid-19-so
• русский: boston.gov/covid-19-ru
• Tiếng Việt: boston.gov/covid-19-vi
• français: boston.gov/covid-19-fr 
• português brasileiro: boston.gov/covid-19-pt
• kreyòl ayisyen: boston.gov/covid-19-hc

• Office of Food Access: https://www.boston.gov/departments/food-access 
• Food Resources during COVID 19 :https://www.boston.gov/news/food-resources-during-covid-19

If you need assistance determining eligibility and would like to apply over the phone for SNAP/Food Stamps, please contact the Greater Boston Food Bank at 617.598-5022 or visit www.gbfg.org/snap.

Project Bread’s toll-free FoodSource Hotline is the only comprehensive statewide information and referral service in Massachusetts for people facing hunger. To find food resources in your community, call the FoodSource Hotline: 1-800-645-8333   TTY 1-800-377-1292

Visit the Need Food Page: GBFB.org/need-food

Snap Assistance: (617) 598-5022, SNAP@gbfb.org, GBFB.org/SNAP

Link to BPS Meal Sites 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TtAom9FFnU-nmTbld7MVummTieKo4PDSDno7swNqRAQ/edit?usp=sharing

“Grab and Go” prepackaged hot and cold meals, available daily at 31 community locations across Boston. Visit the website or call (617) 477-6606 for a list of pick up locations or to sign up for grab-and-go meals

MAYOR’S OFFICE FOR IMMIGRANT ADVANCEMENT
617-635-2980

Immigration Consultation Clinics at Boston City Hall are by telephone until further notice. Call or email ImmigrantAdvancement@boston.gov for instructions.

LAWYERS FOR CIVIL RIGHTS
617-981-4308

Free legal support to individuals, families, community groups, and small businesses in response to COVID-19.

https://www.boston.gov/news/covid-19-resource-guide-bostons-immigrants

MASS. DEPT. OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE :866-584-0653

OFFICE OF HOUSING STABILITY
617-635-4200
HOUSINGSTABILITY@BOSTON.GOV

Assistance finding and maintaining stable, safe, and affordable housing options, informing tenants of their rights and responsibilities, and helping navigate the individual and family shelter systems. 

For all updates, visit the BPS Coronavirus page. 

https://www.bostonpublicschools.org/Page/8080

All COVID-19 related updates for MassHealth can be found here: https://www.mass.gov/coronavirus-disease-covid-19-and-masshealth

• MassHealth will cover all coronavirus testing and treatment
• MassHealth is allowing early refills and 90-day supplies of medicine 
• MassHealth will cover telemedicine and has expanded telehealth and telephonic services 
• If you meet the income standard, need COVID-19 testing, and do not have health insurance, you will be automatically enrolled in MassHealth
• MassHealth has expanded insurance eligibility for uninsured residents who turn up at hospitals with an illness 

The MBTA is open with COVID 19 restrictions. Full details: https://mbta.com/covid19

All COVID-19 updates from the RMV can be found here: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/rmv-covid-19-information

Boston’s Office of Economic Development information is available online boston.gov/coronavirus.

Boston Restaurant Support: the Boston Office of Economic Development has a tool for restaurants to publicly share that they’re open, share gift-card information, and which (if any) delivery/take-out services they use. This guide is available for residents to utilize, and explore what local businesses are open in their neighborhoods. The Office of Economic Development encourages restaurants to register online if they are still open. The guide is available online on boston.gov/restaurant-support. By direction of Mayor Walsh and the Boston Licensing Board, the City of Boston has lifted licensing regulations to allow takeout/delivery at all restaurants. OED has also created a guidebook for offering take-out and delivery that can also be used for groceries, pharmacies, and others. The Office of Economic Development has created a form for employers and employees to complete if they agree to expand their services to delivery.

Small Business Survey: Boston’s Small Business Team has been working in individual neighborhoods to ensure support is given, and is working to proactively address concerns in the business community. As part of that work, the Office of Economic Development has launched surveys for small businesses to pinpoint the help and services they need during this time. OED is currently collecting responses for their second survey, and has had more than a thousand respondents so far. The results of the first survey are already available on boston.gov.

One-on-one technical assistance from the Small Business Team is offering to help get services online. Interested businesses can reach out through smallbiz@gmail.com. 

• Apply for Unemployment online. Instructions via video: https://www.masslegalhelp.org/employment-unemployment/ui-apply. To apply over the phone, call 1-617-626-6800 or 1-877-626-6800.
• Find COVID-19 related changes to the unemployment rules here: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/massachusetts-covid-19-unemployment-information

Emergency Child Care Providers are available for people including but not limited to health care workers, essential state and human service workers, COVID-19 health workers, grocery store or pharmacy employees, emergency response personnel, law enforcement, transportation and infrastructure workers, sanitation workers, DCF-involved families, and families living in shelters. Please contact an emergency child care program only if you require emergency or back-up drop-in care. To slow the spread of the coronavirus, all families should keep children out of group care settings to the greatest extent possible. Emergency Child Care Programs are for when all other non-group-care settings have been exhausted and families have no other options. For further guidance regarding the definition of essential workers, please see COVID-19 Essential Services issued by the Governor.

All planned abutters meetings are starting up again. Please contact the Office of Neighborhood Services and the neighborhood Liaisons.

The Boston Public Library has entertainment like books, magazines, newspapers, streaming media, movies and more, all available online. They also offer online courses, language learning, test prep and more.

The Museum of Fine Art Online Collection is available for viewing

Shooting Touch Boston provides a safe, supportive, sport-based response to barriers in girls’ health, self-esteem, and access to regularly scheduled physical activity. They are hosting virtual programming sharing fitness, basketball, and nutrition activities with girls on a weekly basis here: https://www.shootingtouch.com/boston.

YMCA of Greater Boston is offering free streaming workouts on their website, as well as additional health and fitness virtual services for their members.

Boston Area Community Care Resources: a community-generated list

ETHOS  www.ethocare.org  Ethos is a private, nonprofit organization that assists the elderly and disabled to live at home. We serve over 3,000 individuals and families, primarily in the Boston neighborhoods of Jamaica Plain, Roslindale, West Roxbury, Hyde Park and Mattapan. Ethos offers a wide range of high-quality, discounted services and support, delivered at home and in the community.

• Home Care – Including Homemakers, Home Health Aides, Grocery Shopping, Medication Delivery, Medical Transportation and more, for those who are eligible and enrolled in the Home Care Program. Visit www.ethocare.org or call (617) 292-6211 for more information.
• Home Delivered Meals – Our Meals on Wheels program is fully operational and can provide hot, nutritious meals, to Bostonians, 60 years of age or older. Call (617) 477-6606 to find out more or enroll.
• “Grab and Go” Meals – Prepackaged hot and cold meals, available daily at 31 community locations across Boston . Visit the website or call (617) 477-6606 for a list of pick up locations or to sign up for grab-and-go meals
• Informational Mailings and Robocalls – Up-to-date information for the elderly and disabled regarding COVID-19, safety precautions and resources. 

Mental Health Support – For older adults who may be socially isolated or suffering from depression. Visit the website or call (617) 477-6623 to contact us or to make a referral for mental health support.

Massachusetts Jobs with Justice: https://bit.ly/MassWorkerReliefFunds