Resources for Families

Support with physical and mental health and/or safety:

Purpose / Support with:	Organization Name	Link to website	Notes:
Emergency Mental Health Services	Boston Emergency Services Team	Boston Emergency Services Team	A mental health emergency hotline to do crisis evaluation and treatment if you feel your child has become a danger to themselves or others in the home. Must have mass health insurance. The BEST team is able to evaluate children and adults.
Helping Parents with Stress	Parents Helping Parents	Parents Helping Parents Stress Hotline	The current national health emergency is causing many parents anxiety.* How do I protect my children?* What do I tell them?* Or simply, how do I keep them busy when there is no school? Parental stress line counselors are still there to listen to your concerns and problem-solve with you. 24-7, free and confidential.CALL: 800-632-8188
Emergency Childcare Providers	Exempt Emergency Childcare Providers	Exempt Emergency Childcare Providers	To slow the spread of coronavirus, Governor Baker has issued an emergency order temporarily closing all early childhood education programs across the State of Massachusetts to suspend providing childcare by 11:59 P.M. on Sunday, March 22, 2020. This will remain in effect until April 6, 2020 and may be extended as needed. Exempt Emergency Child Care Programs will be the only child care programs that are allowed to operate during this time. This prioritizes public health and safety while maintaining critical service.
Crisis Hotline Resources	City of Boston	Crisis Hotline Resources	Suicide prevention, domestic violence, and other crisis hotlines for youth, young adults, and their friends and families.
Crisis Text Line – Text TALK to 741741	Crisis Text Line	Crisis Text Line	Crisis Text Line is here for you 24/7. Text a free Crisis Counselor anytime. You don’t have to deal with the hard parts of life alone. Text us. Get free help.Anxious about coronavirus? Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a Crisis Counselor.
Help Line and Teletherapy	ICNA Relief: Muslims for Humanity	HELPLINE@ICNARELIEF.ORG	National Help Line – The ICNA Relief Helpline is a free, nationwide peer-support service providing information and resource referrals to people facing difficulty due to the Covid-19 crisis.                              1-844-412-9809 M-F 9am-9pm ET   Teletherapy – Mental health is crucial at a time like this. Eligible clients can receive treatment without worrying about leaving home and staying safe.
Suicide Prevention Hotline	Suicide Prevention Hotline	Lifeline Chat	Anyone who is depressed, going through a hard time, needs to talk, or is thinking about suicide can use the chat. The chat counselors are here to listen and support you through whatever difficult times you may be facing. The Lifeline Chat service is available 24/7. If you have trouble connecting to the chat service we encourage you to call the Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

Support with food and shelter:

Purpose / Support with:	Organization Name	Link to website	Notes:
Boston Food Meal Sites	Boston.gov	Boston Food Meal Sites	“Grab and go” breakfast and lunch will be available to youth and teens 18 and under
Food and Meal Service Hotline	Project Bread	Project Bread Food Source Hotline	Food and Meal ServicesFoodSource Hotline – 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
Stop and Shop – shopping for ages 60+	Stop and Shop	Stop and Shop	Starting March 19th, Stop and Shop will have a 90-minute window from 6 am-7:30 am open only to shoppers ages 60+.
Food Resources	Haley House Soup Kitchen	Haley House Soup Kitchen	Haley House Soup Kitchen is providing take-out meals throughout the week. Mon-Fri 7-9am Breakfast, Sunday Brunch 11-2pm, Elder Meal (age 55+) Tues & Thurs 1-3pm @ 23 Dartmouth St, South End
Free Lunch Buffet for Boston Students	The Breakfast Spot	The Breakfast Spot Flyer	Tuesday-Friday 11:30am-2:30pm at 2805 Washington St, Roxbury. If you know a child depending on school lunch, please sent them to The Breakfast Spot. Mention Romilda or Families for Justice as Healing to receive a free meal.
Free meals YMCA	YMCA of Greater Boston	YMCA Food Distribution	Grab and go breakfast and lunch provided from 8AM-12PM M-F by YMCA of Greater Boston for youth and teens 18 and under. Visit https://go.aws/2UdqgsV for locations. More details provided by the Egleston Branch– Open from 8am-12pm M-F handing out breakfast and lunches for kids and adult meals as well. Every Friday they give out pantry and produce bags. They have also been giving hygiene products. If a family needs diapers, they are able to get them upon request. Call 617.522.0946 with any questions. Location 3134 Washington St, Roxbury, MA 02119.  Children and adults meals are served at specific branches – Egleston, East Boston, and Oak Square-Brighton.
Make Shift Boston Free Groceries	Make Shift Boston	Make Shift Boston Flyer	Free Food and supplies every Monday 5:30pm @ 549 Columbus AvenueUpdates: follow facebook.com/solidaritysupplydistro or twitter: @bostondistro
Free Cooking Classes	Mattapan Flavors Cooking Class	Free Cooking Classes	Thursdays 6-8pm @ Mattapan Community Health Center 1575 Blue Hill AveEasy, fun cooking to feed you and your family! Weekly cooking classes taught by the Boston Organization of Nutritionists and Dietetics of Boston. No fee to participate. Gift card for groceries after completing 3 sessions!
Pet Food Services	Pet Pantry	Pet Food Services	The Pet Pantry offers support for those in need of pet food assistance. They have various distribution sites across the South Shore.
Fresh Truck Food	Fresh truck	https://www.aboutfresh.org/fresh-truck-box-program-overview/	Fresh Box is a community-based food distribution program developed in response to the COVID-19 crisis.. The goal of Fresh Box is to provide food access for Boston residents throughout the duration of the COVID-19 lockdown and to support local businesses. The program is supported by the Boston Resiliency Fund.
Food Pantry	ABCD	https://bostonabcd.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/FOOD-PANTRY-FLYER_revised_3_27_20.pdf	Action for Boston Community Development food pantry is operating at 5 locations across the city. Roxbury/North Dorchester Neighborhood Opportunity Center: 617.442.5900. Call ahead to get on list. Monday through Wed. 10a -12p, 2nd and 4th Thursday 10a -12pm.staff_communitycoordination@bostonabcd.org
Community meals	Food for the Soul	https://www.bostonherald.com/2020/03/18/food-for-the-soul-amid-coronavirus-outbreak/	Located in Dorchester’s Grove Hall neighborhood, the restaurant is also helping to feed upwards of 1,000 people a day (as of article published mid-March)— from school children to seniors — in conjunction with Violence in Boston Inc. Call (617) 602-1042 for details.
Grocery Delivery and friendly check-ins	Good Neighbors	https://www.nesterlygoodneighbors.com	Free deliveries and friendly check-ins for those at-risk for COVID-19. Get what you need safely, from a volunteer neighbor. Can request online or call (877) 958-8785
Meal Delivery	Building Audacity	https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc3–RH0GfhmB4DAbDF3A5ZeKyx9EEa5gEIuL4az8Z89RuNKw/viewform NOTE: This resource may no longer be available based on supply. Please check link to confirm.	Youth Food Delivery ProgramBuilding Audacity volunteers will be working with community organizations to deliver meals to families unable to access food sites in the Greater Boston area.  Family RegistrationWe deliver 2-3 days worth of groceries free of charge on Monday and Thursday when we have enough food donations and volunteer drivers. If you know of any families in need of groceries, please have them register using the below link. https://forms.gle/ev75wf8RnfpTk7uf7
Supporting Neighbors in Need/Community Help Center	Nextdoor	https://help.nextdoor.com/s/article/Use-the-Help-Map-to-find-and-offer-help?language=en_US	Sign up on the website required. Help Map so neighbors can mark their house with an icon to indicate they are available to help. And those who need help can use the map to find nearby volunteers and ask for help.
Meal Drop Off, and other community supports	ICNA Relief: Muslims for Humanity	https://www.icnarelief.org/coronavirus-2/	ICNA Relief provides social services across the U.S. to the underprivileged and those affected by natural disasters. COVID relief efforts include Meals on Wheels- team of volunteers go on the road to specific locations to give food to those in need. Door Step Deliveries – to the elderly and immuno compromised neighbors, our volunteers deliver boxes with essentials for cooking and hygiene products.
Food Pantry and Community Meal Programs	The Greater Boston Food Bank	Gbfb.org	Partner Agency locator provides a list of food assistance options in each community served. Type in client zip code and identify local food sources (pantry, church, soup kitchen, etc).
Pre-packaged meals to go, pre-bagged groceries from food pantry	Rosie’s Place	rosieplace.org	A sanctuary for poor and homeless women. Shelter is currently full, other services in place. If you are in need of assistance, please call Rosie’s Place before coming. 617.442.9322. Pre-bagged groceries from their Food Pantry available between 8a-2p
Pandemic EBT cards for families who qualify for free and reduced-price school meals	Mass.gov	https://www.mass.gov/info-details/pandemic-ebt-p-ebt	In addition to breakfast/lunch pickups, Pandemic-specific, individualized Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards are going to be available to all Massachusetts families with school-aged children who qualify for free and reduced-price school meals. This includes any student in a school that provided free meals to all students.

Support with Employment / Income and Legal Services:

Purpose / Support with:	Organization Name	Link to website	Notes:
Legal Help	Lawyers for Civil Rights (LCR)	Lawyers for Civil Rights	Need Legal Help or Support During COVID-19? LCR created a multilingual landing page to share multilingual information and will update it regularly.
Unemployment Resource	City of Boston	Unemployment Resources	If your hours have been cut due to COVID-19, you qualify for Unemployment Insurance. Governor Baker announced emergency regulations that will allow those impacted by COVID-19 to collect unemployment insurance. Emergency legislation is being filed that will waive the one-week waiting period for unemployment benefits. Apply here: https://www.mass.gov/unemployment-insurance-ui-online
Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) Virtual Town Halls Sign up for a town hall presentation	Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance	Unemployment Assistance	The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development and the Department of Unemployment Assistance will be hosting daily virtual town hall meetings featuring a step by step process to achieve a successful unemployment claim. They will also take questions from claimants across the Commonwealth.The current virtual town hall schedule is:Sunday, March 22, 2020 at 3:30 PMMonday, March 23, 2020 at 9:00 AMTuesday, March 24, 2020 at 9:00 AM – Spanish Town HallWednesday, March 25, 2020 at 9:00 AMFriday, March 27, 2020 at 9:00 AMClick here to sign up for a virtual town hall via phone or online.
Financial Relief	Union Capital Boston Visa Gift Card Support	Gift Card Support	Do you live in the Greater Boston area? Are you in need of financial support due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) either because of school closings or lost wages? If yes, please fill out this form and answer honestly. Union Capital Boston will order Visa gift cards on Friday, March 20 and take 7-10 days to arrive. We will divide the amount on each card evenly based on the amount of money raised. Do you know someone who can donate? Ask them to donate at: bit.ly/UCBCOVID19Fund
Utility Bill assistance – COVID-19	Utility Bill assistance – Mass.gov	Utility Assistance	If you are having trouble paying your utility bills, here’s information you should know. State’s moratorium on electric and gas service shutoffs EXTENDED for the duration of the state of emergency for COVID-19
COVID-19 FAQs related to workers rights	Legal Aid at Work	Legal Aid at Work	COVID-19 FAQs related to workers rights
Boston Rental Relief Fund		Rental Relief Fund	This program is for Boston resident households who lost household income due to COVID-19 and are having difficulty paying their rent, please refer them to the Boston Rental Relief Fund. This program is available to undocumented households.

Support with internet and technology:

Purpose / Support with:	Organization Name	Link to website	Notes:
Technology	BPS OIITOr call 311	BPS LaptopsOr call 311	Use this link to request a laptop delivery during BPS School Closure.
Free / Low-cost internet	ComcastOr call 311	Comcast InternetOr call 311	Comcast is taking immediate steps to help connect low-income families to the Internet at home. New Internet Essentials customers will receive two free months of Internet service, which is available to all qualified low-income households for $9.95/month plus tax. APPLY BY April 30, 2020.
Internet Access	MA DOE	http://www.doe.mass.edu/odl/access-safety.html	This link has a multitude of Out-of-School Access and Internet Safety resources
Free (first 2 mo.) / Low-cost internet for low-income families	See website  (i.e. Charter Spectrum, Optimum, Federal Communication Commission’s Lifeline program, Spectrum Internet Assist, Cox Connect, AT&T’s Access program)	https://www.highspeedinternet.com/resources/are-there-government-programs-to-help-me-get-internet-service	In response to COVID-19 developments, some internet providers are offering free services to low-income families and households with students. See website for list of providers and current offerings.

Support with home learning and academics:

Purpose / Support with:	Organization Name	Link to website	Notes:
Resources for Families	BMC Autism Program – Resources for Families	Resources for Families	An amazing list of “Education and Daily Activities” and “Food, Finances, and Services” resources for families organized by the BMC Autism Program
Kids Daily Newsletter	PBS Kids Daily Newsletter	PBS Kids Daily Newsletter	Daily newsletter of activities and tips to help kids play and learn at home. Sign up using the link!
Book Resource	Children’s Book: COVIBOOK – My Name is Coronavirus	Children’s’ Book	A free short book to support and reassure our children, under the age of 7, regarding the COVID-19. This book is an invitation for families to discuss the full range of emotions arising from the current situation.

Information and Resources related to Coronavirus:

Purpose / Support with:	Organization Name	Link to website	Notes:
Boston Public School Updates	BPS	Boston Public Schools Coronavirus Updates	BPS updates and resources for Boston children and families including Free Lunch & Breakfast locations, staying digitally connected & virtual learning, tips for educators, and more
Boston Alerts and Updates	City of Boston	Boston Alerts and Text UpdatesOr call 311	To get regular updates on #covid19 from the City of Boston text BOSCOVID to 99411
Emergency Response to support vulnerable children and families	United Way – MA Bay and Merrimack Valley	https://unitedwaymassbay.org/covid-19/who-are-we-working-with/	Mobilizing resources, raising funds and distributing them to people in need, as quickly and efficiently as humanly possible is our expertise.

Resources for Talking to Students/Children about COVID:

Purpose / Support with:	Organization Name	Link to website	Notes:
Guidelines for helping children understand COVID	PBS	https://www.pbs.org/education/blog/how-to-talk-to-little-learners-about-coronavirus https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/how-to-talk-to-your-kids-about-coronavirus?fbclid=IwAR3GwvHoZ87YqY1QWYY6CBCGvN0Wyfm8UcFFXq-1TrwSwTq2Se9NRfWPW7Q	PBS appears to have various ideas/resources geared to parents and teachers in order to support talking to youth about COVID-19
Infographic	World Health Organization (WHO)	https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/helping-children-cope-with-stress-print.pdf?sfvrsn=f3a063ff_2	World Health Organization – Helping children cope with stress
Resource List	Child Mind Institute	https://childmind.org/article/talking-to-kids-about-the-coronavirus/	The Child Mind Institute is an independent, national nonprofit dedicated to transforming the lives of children and families struggling with mental health and learning disorders.
Health related cartoons for children	Tiny Docs	https://www.tinydocs.co/covid.pdf	This is a graphic/story-like description that may be applicable for some of the questions being asked or concerns presented by students. One may choose to use certain pages rather than the whole document depending on relevancy and needs.
Developmental guidelines	Harvard	https://cdn1.sph.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/2555/2020/03/Talking-to-children-about-the-impact-of-COVID-19.pdf	Provides guidelines based on age/developmental stage for parents talking to children about COVID.
Additional related websites/resources		https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/teaching-through-coronavirus-what-educators-need-right-now https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/talking-with-children.html  http://www.camh.ca/-/media/files/camh_covid19_infosheet-talking_to_kids-pdf.pdf	Teaching through COVID. Resource for educators. Talking to children about the current situation with COVID-19.

Translation & Interpretation Resources

Purpose / Support with:	Organization Name	Link	Notes:
Interpreter over the phone or virtual meeting	BPS	Talk to your student’s teacher or Ms. Madeline (gillespm@bc.edu)	Parents have the right to request an interpreter and are encouraged to communicate with teachers in their preferred language..3 way Phone call with interpreter through LionBridge Telephonic ServicesVirtual meeting (Zoom) with BPS interpreter and teacher
Messaging	SeeSaw	Talk to your student’s teacherhttps://web.seesaw.me/	Teachers and families in K1- Grade 2 will use SeeSaw. Families can send and receive messages in their preferred language. Reach out to your student’s teacher with questions.
Messaging	Talking Points App	https://talkingpts.org/Talk with your student’s teacher or email Ms. Madeline (gillespm@bc.edu)	Families can send and receive text messages in their preferred language through the Talking Points app or text message.
Written communication	Google Translate	translate.google.com	Quick and free translations.