Community Support
During COVID-19
1. Addressing Fear and Coping with Stress During Infectious Disease Outbreaks
- Explore The Conversation’s 10 Reasons Why Not to Panic to learn how we can collectively contain and defeat the Coronavirus
- Check out these tips from the Center for Disease Control on Managing Anxiety & Stress during infectious disease outbreaks
- Learn about SAMHSA counseling services available to you through their Disaster Distress Helpline and Response Mobile App
- Check out this guide for parents and caregivers to help families cope from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network
- Care for yourself and loved ones with the Informed Immigrant’s Mental Health Toolkit
2. Health Access & Guidance Regarding Covid-19
- USCIS has confirmed that the Public Charge rule does not restrict access to testing, screening, or treatment of communicable diseases, including COVID-19. USCIS Alert
- One Degree provides connections to health resources throughout California
- Department of Public Health has FAQs in English, Spanish, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Vietnamese, Tagalog, and Japanese: wash hands, social distancing, extra caution for elderly/pregnant/those with underlying conditions. (Other languages also available)
- Undocumented people still qualify for Emergency Medi-Cal
- There are currently no home test kits for COVID-19. Avoid any suspected scams.
3. Connecting To Free/Low-Cost Resources
- U-Haul is offering free storage units for 30 days to college
- Several video conferencing software companies have opened up free access to their premium features including Cisco Webex, Google Hangouts (for schools and businesses), and Zoom (for K-12 schools)
- Free wi-fi and broadband internet is being offered by Charter to K-12 and college students and Comcast to low-income families for 60 days (families may need to be eligible for state/federal assistance to qualify)
- California utilities suspend customer shut-offs due to non-payment
- Check out this national guide created by the Hope Center on Supporting Students during COVID-19
4. Legal Rights as Employees
- Legal Aid at Work provides clarity about Undocumented Workers’ Employment Rights
- APALA has an infographic for employers with information on Protecting API Workers
- California Labor Commissioner’s Office released FAQs on COVID-19 and Laws Enforced
- County Office of Labor Standards Enforcement has an infographic detailing Covid-19 Impact on Workers Pay (check your local CA county office)
- The Employment Development Department (EDD) of California is encouraging individuals with DACA and other employment authorizations who are affected by coronavirus layoffs to apply for unemployment benefits. Workers don’t have to be sick to qualify. Individuals who were laid off or had hours reduced due to coronavirus restrictions can also apply.
5. Supporting Businesses & Freelancers
- Check out this guide to supporting artists, performers, and service industry folks during Coronavirus
- Check out this aggregated list of COVID-19 & Freelancer Resources of free resources, opportunities, and financial relief options available to artists of all
- Stay informed about the ways small businesses can prepare for the impact of COVID-19 on their business and community through the Small Business Majority
- Immigrants Rising’s K ickStarter Grants offers short-term, non-renewable
- Low-interest business loans ranging from $2,600 to $250,000 are available through Opportunity Fund.
- Mission Asset Fund offers 0% interest for credit-building loans (up to $2,400) and loans to start or expand a business (up to $2,500) Immigrants nationally. They also provide loans to CA residents to pay for USCIS application fees.
- Find loans or local business assistance on Venturize.
6. K-12 Resources
- Several K-12 school districts across California are offering free meals to students and their families including San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles County, Riverside, Coachella Valley, Fresno and Monterey County.
7. Organizing & Action-Oriented
- United We Dream is asking folks to sign their petition to ensure care for all immigrants & suspend enforcement activities
- Define American is compiling stories of folks coming together to bolster community health and safety across America’s diverse cultural
- Medical professionals have written an Open Letter to ICE urging the release of individuals in immigration detention given the risk of COVID-19.
- Detention Watch Network created an organizational sign on letter to ICE calling for the release of all people and cessation of enforcement operations
8. Social Distancing
- Share this infographic with Guidelines on Social Distancing
- Ariadne Labs talks about necessary steps to flatten the coronavirus curve in Social Distancing: This is Not a Snow Day.
9. Up-To-Date Tracking of COVID-19 Cases Worldwide
- Coronavirus Dashboard tracks the numbers of cases including deaths and recovery rates both locally and globally, as well as provides an interactive map.
- Why Fighting the Coronavirus Depends On You is a video created by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), which highlights how slowing down the spread of the virus could save hundreds of thousands of lives.
10. Federal Government Updates
- Effective March 18th, USCIS is suspending in-person services at its field offices, asylum offices, and application support centers until April In the meantime, please call the USCIS Contact Center for assistance with emergency immigration-related services.
- Effective March 18, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will seek to arrest only persons whom they believe are“public safety risks” and certain individuals with criminal backgrounds. For all others, ICE will exercise discretion to delay arrests until after the public health crisis diminishes or utilize alternatives. See the announcement here.