Non-profi ts adapt to coronavirus pandemic
STAY HOME TO STOP THE SPREAD OF CORONAVIRUS
New Yorkers working together and staying home can slow the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19)
in New York City. When you go out for essential needs, work or to get fresh air, keep distance
between yourself and others and take the following precautions.
BRONX TIMES REPORTER,BTR MARCH 27-APRIL 2, 2020 9
NEW YORKERS:
Text COVID to 692-692 for real-time updates or visit nyc.gov/coronavirus.
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Bill de Blasio
Mayor
Oxiris Barbot, MD
Commissioner
PROTECT YOURSELF
AND OTHERS
• Keep at least 6 feet between
yourself and others.
• Wash your hands with soap
and water often.
• Cover your nose and mouth
with a tissue or sleeve when
sneezing or coughing.
• Do not touch your face with
unwashed hands.
• Monitor your health more
closely than usual for cold or
flu symptoms.
IF YOU ARE SICK
• Stay home.
• If you have a cough,
shortness of breath, fever,
sore throat and do not feel
better after 3-4 days,
consult with your doctor.
• If you need help getting
medical care, call 311.
• NYC will provide care
regardless of immigration
status or ability to pay.
REDUCE
OVERCROWDING
• Stay home.
• Telecommute if possible.
If you do go out:
• Stagger work hours away
from peak travel times.
• Walk or bike.
• Do not gather in crowds.
PROTECT THE
MOST VULNERABLE
• Stay home if you have
lung disease, heart disease,
diabetes, cancer or a
weakened immune system.
• Stay home and call, video
chat or text with family or
friends who have one of
these conditions.
BY JASON COHEN
As New Yorkers are struggling
and coping with the COVID-19 pandemic,
non-profi ts are doing their
best to help the community.
Alliance for Positive Change and
BronxWorks are among the organizations
that are working around the
clock and providing services for the
borough.
BronxWorks offers food, shelter
and emotional support for toddlers
through seniors.
Eileen Torres, executive director
of BronxWorks, said all hands are
on deck right now. Torres noted that
as much as the pandemic is impacting
their clients, it affecting her staff
as well. Many of her employees have
kids who are now at home, so fi nding
childcare is an issue.
“We’ve been trying our best to
manage with a short number of
staff,” she said.
According to Torres, they are
open all week preparing meals and
seniors can come in and get them as
they normally do. She stressed with
high food insecurity in the borough
it is imperative that they make sure
all of their clients are getting food.
The organization works with people
that have chronic illnesses and
those who live in shelters, so they
have been constantly checking on
them to make sure they are healthy
and okay.
Alliance for Positive Change,
which assists people with HIV/
AIDS, chronic health and substance
use challenges has been providing
services to the Bronx for 30 years.
Sharen Duke, executive director and
CEO spoke with the Bronx Times
about what they are doing to help
their 6,000 clients, nearly 30 percent
of who live in the Bronx.
“Overall there’s a real sense of
fear because there’s so much that’s
unknown,” Duke said. “We need to
come together as a community.”
Duke said Alliance is offering
pre-packaged grab and go meals that
people can pick up, is delivering medication
and doing counseling by Facetime
or phone.
She noted that many people have
expressed concerns that they may
not be able to afford rent or pay their
bills. Duke hopes the government not
only helps the airlines and hospitals,
but non–profi ts as well.
“Any stimulus package that the
government does must include nonprofi
t organizations,” she said. “We
are small businesses and we too are
suffering not being able to meet services
and we’ve had to reduce the
ways in which we do our work.”
These are challenging times for
everyone, whether you are rich or
poor, she said. But for those with
mental health, depression or fi nancial
issues this can hit them even
harder, she explained.
A lot of her clients live paycheck to
paycheck and often don’t know where
their next meal will be. Many of them
don’t know how they will get through
this, she remarked.
“How do you keep mental health
and emotional wellness when everything
around you is topsy-turvy,” she
said. “We’re certainly doing our best
for the people that we serve. Even in
a city that never sleeps it’s hard to
fi nd a restaurant that does delivery.”
Sharen Duke, executive director and CEO of
Alliance for Positive Change
Photo courtesy The Alliance for Positive Change
Eileen Torres, executive director of Bronx-
Works
Photo Photo Courtesy BronxWorks
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