WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES APRIL 23, 2020 15
Resources you need during
the coronavirus crisis
COVID-19
For information on how
to help stop the spread
of coronavirus, available
resources, and other
updates, visit the NYC Health
Department (DOH) website.
Coronaviruses are a family
of viruses that cause illnesses
ranging from the common
cold to more serious illnesses
like pneumonia. The 2019
novel coronavirus causes a
respiratory disease called
COVID-19. Infections with this
new virus have been reported
in many areas, including the
United States and New York
City. To learn more, see the
Coronavirus Factsheet.
Health care and testing
All New Yorkers should
consider themselves
potentially exposed to
coronavirus. That means that
everyone should stay home as
much as possible, even if they
do not have any symptoms of
COVID-19.
You should consult with
your doctor if you:
• Have fever, cough,
shortness of breath or other
do not feel better after three
to four days
Have mild symptoms and
are an older adult or have
any of the chronic health
conditions listed above
• Use telephone, text,
telemedicine or a patient
portal to reach out rather
than going to your doctor
in person. You and your
provider will decide if you
need to come to medical care.
health care provider, call 311.
Immigrants and public
charge
On March 13, US
Citizenship and Immigration
Services (USCIS) said that
seeking or using healthcare
services related to COVID-19
will NOT be considered under
the public charge rule, even
if the services are Medicaidfunded.
Learn more from the
Affairs (MOIA).
Anyone who needs help
during the COVID-19 crisis
should seek care without fear,
regardless of immigration
status or ability to pay for
health services. To learn more
about health care and testing,
refer to the section above.
FOOD
Emergency food
If you need emergency food
assistance, call the Emergency
Food Hotline at 866-888-8777
or kitchen. There is no income
limit for emergency food.
Learn more about Emergency
food.
Free meals for K-12
students
All NYC children can get
three free meals a day from
the NYC Department of
Education (DOE). Through
Friday, March 20, meals are
available at the entrance to
every school from 7:30am–
1:30pm. Beginning March 23,
meals will be distributed at
more than 400 sites across the
city. Find a location near you.
How to pick up a meal:
• No registration, ID, or
documentation is required
• You can pick up all three
meals a day at the same time
• No dining space is
available, so you must eat
meals away from schools
Senior residents and food
For seniors ages 60
years and older who have
disabilities or access or
functional needs, NYC
Department for the Aging
(DFTA) provides homedelivered
meals . Call 311 and
learn more from DFTA.
SNAP (food stamps)
You can now use your
Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program (SNAP)
benefits to shop online for
fresh produce and groceries
and have them delivered. Use
your EBT card at these online
stores in NYC:
• ShopRite
• Amazon
• Walmart
Note: You can’t use SNAP
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Be sure to confirm that an
online store delivers to your
home address. Learn more
from HRA.
HOUSING
Domestic violence
In an emergency, dial
911. Call the NYC Domestic
Violence and Sexual Assault
Hotline at 800-621-4673,
TTY 866-604-5350 (if you’re
hearing impaired) to speak
with a counselor. Learn more
about how Family Justice
Centers can help.
Risk of homelessness
Homebase will help you
develop a plan to overcome
an immediate housing crisis
and achieve housing stability.
Call 311 to find out how
Homebase can help and learn
more from HRA.
Programs and services for
youth who are experiencing
homelessness are expected
to continue providing basic
services. Learn more from
DYCD website.
Section 8
NYC Housing Preservation
and Development (HPD)
Section 8 voucher holders
having trouble paying rent
because of income loss should
email DTRAI@hpd.nyc.gov.
Rent Arrears and Public
Assistance
If your work schedule
was reduced as a result of
the coronavirus and you
are unable to pay your rent,
you can apply for a Cash
Assistance special grant
request to get benefits for
emergencies.
• If you have an active Cash
Assistance case, the fastest
way to submit your request
is online on ACCESS HRA.
• You can apply in person
for a one-time grant at a Job
Center.
• Call HRA Info line at 718-
557-1399 to learn how to
apply by mail
FINANCES
Unemployment
NY State (NYS) is dropping
the 7-day waiting period for
Unemployment Insurance
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out of work due to COVID-19
closures or quarantines.
Learn more from the State
Department of Labor.
NYS Dept. labor is
extending telephone filing
hours as follows:
• Monday through
Thursday, 8am to 7:30pm
• Friday, 8am to 6pm
• Saturday, 7:30am to 8pm
Call 888-469-7365 if
you have questions about
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SCHOOL
Vulnerable populations
and children of frontline
workers
Regional Enrichment
Centers will be available
all day starting Monday,
March 23 for the children of
%
workers, transit workers, and
the most vulnerable student
populations. If you think your
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anenrollment form.
Learn more about the
centers on the DOE’s website.
Free internet at home
Charter is offering free
Spectrum broadband and
Wi-Fi access for 60 days to
households with K-12 and/
or college students who do
not already have a Spectrum
broadband subscription. New
student households don’t have
to pay installation fees
To enroll, call Spectrum at
844-488-8395.
Devices for remote
schooling
The NYC Department of
Education is helping families
that need remote learning
devices. Please fill out the
survey below if you need
assistance:
• Online (available in
English, Español, ����, ,
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• Phone: 718-935-5100
(press 5)
After school and
enrichment programs
A l l D Y C D - f u n d e d
programs based in NYC DOE
schools, includingBeacon,
are closed until schools
reopen. Cornerstone and
COMPASSCenter-based
programs are closed for
the remainder of this week.
Please contact programs for
updated business hours.
MENTAL HEALTH
NYC Well
An infectious illness
outbreak can be stressful to
you and your loved ones. It’s
natural to feel overwhelmed,
sad, anxious, and afraid, or to
experience other symptoms
of distress, such as trouble
sleeping. To reduce your
stress and to manage the
situation more resiliently, try
to remain positive, remind
yourself of your strengths,
connect with friends and
loved ones and use healthy
coping skills.
If your symptoms of stress
become overwhelming,
reach out for support and
help. You can contact NYC
Well, a confidential 24/7
helpline, staffed by trained
counselors. They can provide
brief counseling and referrals
to care in over 200 languages.
• Call 888-NYC-WELL (888-
692-9355)
• Text “WELL” to 65173
• Chat at NYC.gov/nycwell
If you’re worried about
how your child is dealing with
the stress of COVID-19, see the
Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention guidelines on
managing stress and anxiety.
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Until further notice, all
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are now open to everyone on
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• Public hotspots can be
found in small/medium
businesses and outdoors in
commercial areas.
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need to accept Terms and
Conditions to access the
network and repeat when
requested to continue to
receive free unlimited access.
• Find a WiFi Public HotSpot
on this map and learn more
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HIGHER ED TODAY
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The steps we take to guide The City University
of New York through the COVID-19
crisis are born out of CUNY’s historic mission
to support our students, promote equity
and make sure the most vulnerable are not
excluded from the learning process.
We see who the coronavirus is attacking
in disproportionate numbers — it’s those
who come from our most diverse neighborhoods,
the very communities that form the
backbone of this University.
The principled imperative to make sure
that no one is left behind has set the framework
for CUNY’s decision-making from the
moment I assumed the role of Chancellor.
As I approach my one-year anniversary
on May 1, I couldn’t be prouder of the
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work we have done over the last 12 months to
honor the founding values of this University,
a template of opportunity and inclusion that
led us most recently to announce the Chancellor’s
Emergency Relief Fund on April 8 to
provide an urgent lifeline to CUNY students
facing financial strain amid COVID-19.
Launched with $3.25 million including
$1 million each from the Carroll and Milton
Petrie Foundation and the James and Judith
K. Dimon Foundation, and $500,000 from
Robin Hood, the Fund has enabled us to begin
issuing grants of $500 each to thousands
of CUNY students in the first CUNY-wide
student assistance program of its kind. The
first checks were delivered this week. (Individual
contributions can be made at cuny.
edu/emergencyfund.
With support from Governor Cuomo,
CUNY last month invested $12 million to
quickly purchase thousands of laptops and
tablets, without which a sizable number
of our students would have been unable to
make the transition to distance learning and
move forward with their courses.
We have broadened CUNY’s record of
public service from participating in relief
work in Puerto Rico to collecting and distributing
vital personal protective equipment
for health workers and helping to create
face shields from campus 3D printers.
We continue to fill our ranks with pioneering
leaders, individuals like S. David
Wu, the incoming president of Baruch,
who will be the first Asian-American college
president at CUNY. He will be joined
by Robin L. Garrell, newly appointed president
of the Graduate Center; Frank H. Wu,
tapped to lead Queens College and CUNY’s
second Asian-American college president;
and Daisy Cocco De Filippis, who will be
interim president of Hostos Community College
and the first Dominican woman to serve
as a CUNY college president. I am also proud
to have built a cabinet of tested leaders representative
of the City we serve.
As I joined a video conference on April
13 to cheer the inaugural graduating class
of the CUNY School of Medicine, I was reminded
of the school’s mission to address
health care disparities in underserved areas.
These newly minted MDs are a perfect
match for the moment as they graduate early
and embark on their careers at a time of unprecedented
demand, a shining embodiment
of the University’s mission to safeguard the
most vulnerable while creating social mobility
for our graduates.
I also have no doubt that the road to recovery
of New York City’s economy and public
health goes through CUNY. I’m proud to
see, for example, CUNY staff already working
with government and health leaders,
taking steps to train and prepare the thousands
of social tracers we will need in the
months to come.
It all underscores a truth about CUNY,
which I knew to be true 12 months ago when
I had the privilege to become chancellor, and
continues to guide me today: The ground beneath
us may shift, but our commitment to
the equity, inclusion and excellence needed
to sustain New York City’s standing as a
world-class city will never, ever waver.
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/nycwell
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