This is an incredibly stressful time for all of us as we try to navigate protecting our families, schooling from home, work from home, and getting resources without exposing ourselves to the pandemic.
I thought that I would do a fourth post related to aid that is available for people during this time. Whether you are out of work, elderly, or suffering losses from your business, these may help. I hope that as time goes on there will be more resources available. I will add as I find them!
Food Assistance:
∞ Apply for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP or Food Stamps).
∞ Get food from a local Food Bank. Check out Feeding America to find a food bank in your local area. They can also direct you to other food pantries close to home.
∞ Apply for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC).
∞ Check if your local school district is providing pick-up meals for children. Many districts are offering this service for kids who would otherwise receive free or reduced cost meals at their schools.
Financial support:
∞ Tips from Financial Expert Dave Ramsey – Coronavirus: What to Do if You Are Out of Work
∞ Check your state’s government website to through this link to apply for unemployment. Read carefully to see if you are eligible. Many states are currently proposing changes to allow more people benefits, to have benefits last longer, and to get benefits to people sooner.
∞ Check your state’s government website through this link to apply for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (Welfare benefits).
∞ United Way – Find out more about United Way’s COVID-19 Community Response and Recovery Fund. Click on “What are local United Ways doing” to find out about your local agencies resources. You can also call 211 to reach your local agency and get directed to local assistance options. Be aware that not every area has financial assistance through their 211 lines and wait times are longer during the pandemic.
∞ For mortgage, rent, and utilities assistance – At this time there is no nationwide program to help with this. However, some towns have ordered that no evictions can be given temporarily. Also, many utility companies have temporarily discontinued (and reinstated) shut-offs for families who could not pay their bills.
∞ CVS is offering free delivery on prescriptions and some everyday essentials.
∞ Charter is offering free access to Spectrum broadband and wifi for 60 days for new K-12 and college student households and more.
∞ Comcast is offering a similar program of 2 months free internet. Check it out here.
∞ Boost Mobile is offering 20 Gigs of extra data for its customers until April 30, 2020.
∞ The Small Business Administration (SBA) is offering disaster relief loans and guidance resources. Check out their site for more details.’
∞ For medical expenses:
- If you are insured – contact your health insurance company to see if they cover the cost of COVID-19 testing and/or treatment. Many cities have free testing available, but the guidelines are strict. Many insurance carriers are also making telemedicine free or at a low-cost to customers.
- If you do not have insurance, visit this site to see how you can get medical benefits for your children.
For specifically seniors:
∞ Check your local newspaper’s website or print media to find out if there are services offering meal delivery, transportation, and help with online services like Instacart. For St. Louis, check out this article here.
∞ Check your local grocery stores to find out if they are offering senior-only shopping times. Many are doing this to help seniors avoid crowds and extra germs that accumulate over the day of shopping.
Related posts:
Surviving on a tight budget 
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