Girl Be Heard Crisis Response Resources
The Girl Be Heard team and community hopes that you are staying safe and healthy during these unprecedented times. We wanted to share a list of various services and helpful resources below that are being offered in the NYC area and online during the COVID-19 crisis. We will be adding more resources to this list as we discover more helpful information for individuals, families and communities.
This list is compiled from resources originally curated by our friends and partners at Girls Write Now, Brooklyn Community Foundation, Youth Inc, Council Member Levine and many others.
RESOURCES
Coronavirus Hotline for New York State: 1-888-364-3065
Register for Notify NYC here or by texting COVID to 692-692 to stay up-to-date on all Coronavirus matters.
CDC Guides:
RECREATION:
Girl Be Heard Fun Resources: Catch up on GBH performances and our past special events during your time at home.
G!Chat Podcast: Tune into our latest podcast episodes here.
MENTAL HEALTH & WELLNESS:
7 Cups: Online emotional support service where you can anonymously chat with trained volunteer listeners for free.
Insight Timer Guided Meditations: Insight Timer offers 30,000 free audio guided meditations.
NYC Well: NYC Well is a connection to free, confidential mental health support. Speak to a counselor via phone, text, or chat and get access to mental health and substance use services, in more than 200 languages, 24/7.Phone: 1-888-692-9355Text: Text “WELL” to 65173
NYC Well Mental Health Tips: NYC Well’s 10 tips to staying mentally healthy.
NYC Well Stress-Relief Steps: NYC Well’s 9 ways to have less stress in under a minute.
Shine: The Shine app offers daily mental health support, a new self-care strategy everyday, and a global community to help you feel less alone.
Yale ‘Happiness’ Course: Yale University’s hugely popular ‘happiness’ course (The Science of Well-Being) is available for free on Coursera.
FINANCE:
Artist Relief: To support artists during the COVID-19 crisis, a coalition of national arts grant-makers have come together to create an emergency initiative to offer financial and informational resources to artists across the United States.
NYC Small Business Services: The City will provide relief for small businesses across the City seeing a reduction in revenue because of COVID-19 through loans and grants.
WomenArts Emergency Funds: WomenArts compiled a list of emergency funds to help artists across all disciplines find organizations where they can apply for funding.
Coronavirus Financial Impact Loan: The Hebrew Free Loan Society has created a Coronavirus Financial Impact Loan Program which provides interest-free loans of $2,000-$5,000 to residents of New York City’s five boroughs, Westchester, or Long Island who are facing financial challenges caused by the Coronavirus outbreak (you don’t have to be Jewish to receive this loan).
FOOD ACCESSIBILITY:
Brooklyn Mutual Aid: A collective of local asymptomatic residents are available to safely run errands for anyone who is unable to go out for any reason. Those in need of help can call or text 929-314-0899 or e-mail brooklynmutualaid@gmail.com. All requests should include the name, neighborhood and what help is needed.
NYC Grab-and-Go Meals: ALL New Yorkers can get three free Grab-and-Go meals daily at the entrance of 400 Meal Hubs through the city. Meals Hubs will operate for children and families from 7:30 am to 11:30 am, and for adults from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm, Mondays through Fridays. Any New Yorker can pick up meals at any of the 400 locations as of April 3rd and until further notice. Vegetarian and halal options available at all sites. No registration, ID, or documentation required. Text “FOOD” or “COMIDA” to 877-877 or use the DOE search tool to find a food distribution center near you.
Food Bank for NYC: Find food pantries and soup kitchens near you.
World Central Kitchen (Bronx): WCK will distribute fresh, individually packaged grab-and-go meals to local families during lunchtime at different pick-up locations in the Bronx and Queens.
Invisible Hands: Volunteer-run initiative offering free delivery of groceries (as well as prescriptions, and other general errands) for elderly, immunocompromised, or otherwise at-risk individuals.
(For summer) NYCDOE Summer Meals: The NYCDOE offers free meals to children 18-years-old and under during the summer. The 2020 Free Summer Meals program begins Saturday, June 27th, the day after school ends. No registration, documentation, or ID is required to receive a free breakfast or lunch meal.
Imperfect Foods: Low-cost online food retailer that delivers fresh produce and other groceries to your home.
EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT:
Girls Who Code (At Home): Girls Who Code is offering free CS educational activities, available to download on their site. Every week, they will release new activities of varying levels of difficulty.
Brainfuse: Brainfuse offers a bank of videos, activities, a writing lab, and other resources that are available to students 24/7. These services are accessible with your library card. New York residents can apply for a library card through the SimplyE app.
Brooklyn Public Library’s Learning Express Library 3.0: Practice tests and other study materials for the GED/HSE/TASC, HiSET, TASC, SAT, elementary school and middle school standardized tests, civil service, technical, and other professional exams.
Khan Academy: Khan Academy is a nonprofit organization that offers free online educational support and webinars in a number of subjects, at all grade levels.
Ivy League Courses: Ivy League schools are currently offering 450 free courses in a number of subjects.
NYCDOE Learn-At-Home Guides: The NYCDOE offers worksheets with activities to do at home in a variety of subjects.
NYCDOE Special Education Services: If your child has an IEP, you should be hearing from their teacher about developing a specific remote learning plan. If your child currently receives related services, DOE is planning to begin delivering these services via tele-therapy sessions or video conferencing. Families will be contacted by related service providers to discuss the transition and to begin scheduling sessions. If you have any questions, contact the DOE Special Education Office at specialeducation@schools.nyc.gov.
NYC Regional Enrichment Centers: Health care workers, NYPD, FDNY, OEM, and transit workers can enroll their children in a Regional Enrichment Center. There are 93 sites across the city to support learning for children of first responders. These sites will be open from 7:30 am – 6:00 pm and will serve children ages 3-18. Children will receive three hot meals each day and will be able to access remote learning opportunities from their school as well as daily activities.
New York Public Library Connect: Although New York Public Libraries are closed for the time being due to the COVID-19 pandemic, NYPL Connect offers a number of online services accessible with your library card, including e-books, e-journals, and their digital history archives. New York residents can apply for a library card through the SimplyE app.
NYPL Tutoring Services: The NYPL is offering online tutoring to provide families with homework help, enrichment activities, and remote learning support through Brainfuse. Students in grades K–12 can access free, remote, one-on-one tutoring in a wide range of subjects and levels. Tutoring is offered in both English and Spanish, seven days a week from 2 PM to 11 PM via chat. These services are accessible with your library card. New York residents can apply for a library card through the SimplyE app.
TechConnect Virtual Classes: TechConnect now offers free online trainings to improve your digital literacy skills right from home. This pilot program will be taught by their expert staff. Be sure to register in advance, as class sizes are limited.
INTERNET ACCESSIBILITY:
NYCDOE Technology Support: NYCDOE will provide technology and materials necessary for remote learning for students who need it. If you would like to request a device for a NYC student in your family, please fill out this form. The DOE will use the contact information you provide to get in touch with you to discuss when and where you can pick up a device. Priority will be given to students most in need, and all devices are granted on a temporary basis and will later need to be returned. There is a limit of one device per student. If you need help with this, please contact your Guidance Counselor.
Altice: Free broadband internet access for 60 days to households with K-12 and/or college students.
Comcast Internet Essentials: Affordable in-home Wi-Fi for low-income households. New customers will receive two months of free service.
Charter Communications/ Spectrum: Free broadband and Wi-Fi access for 60 days to households with K-12 and/or college students who don’t already have a Spectrum broadband subscription.
Spectrum Internet Assist: High-speed broadband internet for low-income households.
AT&T: Waived data overage fees for all customers so you can stay connected during the COVID-19 pandemic. They will also continue to offer internet access for qualifying limited income households at $10 a month through the Access from AT&T program.
TRANSPORTATION:
Fair Fares NYC: Low-income New Yorkers can get a 50-percent discount on public transportation.