Government Resources During COVID-19

Home Government Resources During COVID-19

Government Resources During COVID-19

New York:

  • NYC Resources: hotlines and links to medical, financial, housing, emotional/spiritual, education, immigration services can be found by clicking HERE. 
  • Employee Retention Grant Program
  • Guide for finding a benefit plan most suiting your needs, click HERE. 
  • **As of 3/18/20 Gov. Cuomo announced a 30-day suspension on all STATE-REFERRED DEBT (i.e. student, medical, etc.)** For more information, click HERE. 
  • *as of 3/18 NY has passed S.8091: a bill which will provide emergency statewide paid sick leave for those subject to quarantine/isolation due to COVID19. For more information, click HERE. 
  • HEAP – Home Energy Assistance Program; provides assistance to low-income families or emergency benefits to keep your home running (gas, electricity, etc.).
  • TA – Temporary Assistance supplied either through Family Assistance (FA) provides cash assistance to eligible needy families that include a minor child living with a parent/guardian or Safety Net Assistance (SNA) provides cash assistance to eligible needy individuals and families who are not eligible for FA (i.e. single adults, childless couples, etc.).
  • SNAP – Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program “issues electronic benefits that can be used like cash to purchase food. SNAP helps low-income working people, senior citizens, the disabled and others feed their families. Eligibility and benefit levels are based on household size, income and other factors”.
  • SBA - Small Business Association – “SBA will work directly with state Governors to provide targeted, low-interest loans to small businesses and non-profits that have been severely impacted by the Coronavirus”. For more information, click HERE. For disaster assistance, click HERE. 
    • NYC SBA specifically: the following link leads to application links for NYC “employee retention grant” and/or “small business continuity loan fund”. Click HERE. 
  • NY Governor’s Office of Faith-Based Communities – Grants Gateway provides a one-stop shop for anyone interested in locating grant funding opportunities with State agencies. Nonprofit organizations can browse or search for State funding opportunities and all State agencies are being encouraged to post opportunities in the portal

  • Guidance on Coronavirus Resources and Warnings about Consumer Scams from NY Attorney General, click HERE 

  • NYC Food Delivery Assistance: for those unable to leave their homes during CV 

  • NYS on PAUSE: points to undertake to help prevent spread & protect yourself from COVID19 

Food Resources: *non-profits*

  • NYC Dept. of Education – Free grab-and-go meals for all children Mon-Fri 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Click HERE for a resource that will help you locate a pick-up center nearest you.
  • NYC Food Bank – for information on volunteering, advocacy, or to find a food bank near you please look at the map by clicking HERE. 
  • FoodPantries.Org – for info on local soup kitchen, food banks/pantries near you or subsidized groceries, click HERE. 
  • A digital guide on finding nutritious food during an emergency in NYC 
  • Hunger Free America (NYC) – For information on how/where to donate; benefits calculator, neighborhood guides to food assistance and programs in your area (multiple languages avail.), click HERE. 
  • World Central Kitchen – WCK is working with partners to safely distribute individually packaged fresh meals in communities that need support, for families to pick up and take home; click HERE for a list of restaurants distributing free, pre-packaged meals during lunchtime (times will vary) throughout the Bronx, Harlem, and Queens. Any restaurant or food truck looking to volunteer can sign up HERE.

Federal:

  • Families First Coronavirus Response Act: as of 3/18 most of this bill has passed in the House and Senate*        
  • *Treasury Secretary Mnuchin proposed cashback assistance to those not receiving funds; mailing checks as soon as 2 weeks from now
  • Payroll tax cut for those receiving paychecks; less clear for gig/freelance/contract workers
  • Requires employers paid 10-day sick leave if they are caught with the virus and 3-month paid med/family leave if quarantined or caring for a family member (exempt for companies w/ 500+ employees or gig workers)
  • $500 million in food assistance for low-income mothers with young children and pregnant women
  • $400 million into food banks and $250 million into a senior nutrition program
  • Suspends work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for the duration of the crisis
  • Disaster Unemployment Assistance

Additional:

Education: 

  • Academy of Learning Arts and Sciences – Rapid Transition to Online Learning free program, includes (upon application completion): 12-step emergency transition plan, switching to teaching online video tutorial, transition support, volunteer to join the “rapid response team” 
  • The Journal: Free Resources for Online Learning During COVID-19 Outbreak – pages of free or low-cost resource for educators or parents to help supplement online learning for grades K-12 on varieties of topics from reading to coding and everywhere in between
  • Chatterpack.net – this is an English blog site but all of the links should still work and are free to use. Offers sites with virtual field trip sites, foreign language learning tools, reading, science, music, prayer and more 
  • NYC Dept. Ed. – information on remote learning, suggestions on how provide access for students, etc. 

Financial Assistance to Food Banks: 

*some congregations have soup kitchens* 

  • Food Bank of Northeastern NY: Under the Operations Support Program; all available applications and contacts should be linked within the page. See the Grants & Grant Assistance page HERE.
  • Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery Program: “HUD provides flexible grants to help cities, counties, and States recover from Presidentially declared disasters, especially in low-income areas, subject to availability of supplemental appropriations” the following link may offer guidance over the CDBG HERE. 
  • The Foundation Group may assist in providing funding for any non-profit center 
  • The Section 108 Loan Guarantee Program may provide additional relief as it “provides Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) recipients with the ability to leverage their annual grant allocation to access low-cost, flexible financing for economic development, housing, public facility, and infrastructure projects. Communities can use Section 108 guaranteed loans to either finance specific projects or to launch loan funds to finance multiple projects over several years” 

Mission Investment Fund & ELCA Federal Credit Union are offering special assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic 

  • As the investment and lending ministry of the ELCA, MIF has resources that can provide much-needed help for customers that may be experiencing financial hardship at this time—the congregations and ministries that have MIF loans as well as individual and congregation investors. The ELCA Federal Credit Union, too, is able to provide similar assistance to its members—ELCA pastors, members, congregations and ministries. 
  • The Mission Investment Fund is providing no-penalty access to term deposits for customers who need emergency access to their funds at this time. For congregations and other ministries that need assistance with loans, MIF can offer such relief as: 
    • Deferral of loan payments 
    • Interest-only loan payments 
    • Loan modifications 
    • Lines of credit 
    • New emergency loans 
  • To learn how MIF can help, contact MIF via phone, 877-886-3522, Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (Central time). Reach MIF via email at [email protected] or [email protected]  
  • The ELCA Federal Credit Union is providing similar assistance. For members of the Credit Union who need emergency access to their funds at this time, the Credit Union is providing no-penalty access to certificates of deposit. For individuals, congregations and other ministries needing assistance with loans, the Credit Union is prepared to offer: 
    • Deferral of loan payments 
    • Interest-only loan payments 
    • Loan modifications 
    • Expedited credit card issuance and lines of credit 
    • Expedited personal loans 
    • New emergency loans 
  • To discuss assistance from the ELCA Federal Credit Union, call 877-715-1111 or send an email to [email protected]. 

Families First Coronavirus Relief Act: 

  • Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program: $900 million in grants to states, territories and tribes to support immediate home energy assistance for low-income households affected by coronavirus. More info and contact info for state’s app HERE. 
  • Child Care and Development Block Grant: $3.5 billion in grants to states, territories and tribes for immediate assistance to child care providers to prevent them from going out of business and to otherwise support child care for families, including for healthcare workers, first responders, and others playing critical roles during this crisis. More info HERE.
  • How to apply for a grant: HERE 
  • Community Services Block Grant: $1 billion in grants to states, territories and tribes to provide a wide-range of social services and emergency assistance for those who need it most. More info on GSBG HERE; application process/who to contact for your state HERE  
  • Helpful articles for understanding CARES: 
Close