Food Resources:
Belchertown is serving FREE bagged lunches (with breakfast included for the next day) 11am-1pm every weekday @CHCS via drive-up service
List of Locations in MA that are providing food/meals
Google Spreadsheet of food resources
Project Bread’s FoodSource Hotline offers free, comprehensive statewide food assistance to all Massachusetts residents. Help is offered in 160 languages and there is a line dedicated to helping those that are hearing impaired. For more information and hours, visit www.projectbread.org/gethelp
Northampton Farmer's Market Food Delivery Service: deliveries to all of WMASS, takes SNAP/HIP
Northampton Survival Center Food Pantry- call in if you are sick and they will find a way to help, but please do not enter building.
Amherst Survival Center Food Pantry- offering food to go.
Belchertown is serving FREE bagged lunches (with breakfast included for the next day) 11am-1pm every weekday @CHCS via drive-up service
List of Locations in MA that are providing food/meals
Google Spreadsheet of food resources
Project Bread’s FoodSource Hotline offers free, comprehensive statewide food assistance to all Massachusetts residents. Help is offered in 160 languages and there is a line dedicated to helping those that are hearing impaired. For more information and hours, visit www.projectbread.org/gethelp
Northampton Farmer's Market Food Delivery Service: deliveries to all of WMASS, takes SNAP/HIP
Northampton Survival Center Food Pantry- call in if you are sick and they will find a way to help, but please do not enter building.
Amherst Survival Center Food Pantry- offering food to go.
Free Internet Services:
Some internet & communiations provider companies have additional offers for free services. The full list can be viewed HERE
Uninterrupted Internet & Communications Services
Federal Communications Commission:
Given the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on American society, [most internet and communications agencies] pledge for the next 60 days to:
Some internet & communiations provider companies have additional offers for free services. The full list can be viewed HERE
- AT&T: Providing all consumer home internet wireline customers, as well as Fixed Wireless Internet customers, with unlimited internet data, offering free data plans for certain school-issued tablets for 60 days, waiving wireless voice and data overage fees for all customers, expanding eligibility for its low-income Internet program and offering new program participants two free months of service, and creating a $10 million fund to support distance learning.
- CenturyLink: Suspending data usage limits.
- Charter (Spectrum): Offering up to 100 Mbps broadband service for free for 60 days to new households with K-12 and/or college students and waiving installation fees for such households.
- Comcast (Xfinity) : Increasing broadband speeds for Internet Essentials low-income customers from 15 Mbps to 25 Mbps, offering broadband service for free for 60 days to new Internet Essentials customers, and offering all customers unlimited data for 60 days.
- Cox: Increasing broadband speeds for Connect2Compete (low-income) and certain other customers up to 50 Mbps temporarily, offering broadband service for free for 30 days to new Connect2Compete customers and fast-tracking the qualification process, and offering remote desktop support for free to Connect2Compete and certain other customers.
- Sprint: Offering unlimited smartphone data and additional mobile hotspot data for 60 days; introducing new low-cost smartphone plans; reducing prices for hotspot devices and doubling the data allotment for those devices; increasing data usage limits for high school students without home internet that are supported by the 1Million Project Foundation; and accelerating the delivery of 100,000 devices originally intended for next school year to those students.
- T-Mobile: Offering unlimited smartphone data and additional mobile hotspot data for 60 days, providing additional free data to Lifeline partners’ customers, increasing data usage limits for schools and students using EmpowerED digital learning programs, offering $15/mo pay-as-you-go plan with 2GB of data, offering free international calling to COVID-19 impacted countries, introducing new low-cost smartphone plans, and reducing prices for hotspot devices and doubling the data allotment for those devices.
- Verizon: Automatically adding 15GB of high speed data for wireless consumers and small businesses, and no data caps for DSL and FIOS broadband internet plans, providing two months of free broadband and voice service for current Lifeline customers, introducing a new broadband option for low-income households, increasing high-speed data allotments for existing wireless customers, waiving activation fees on new wireless lines, providing free international calling to COVID19-impacted countries, tripling the data usage limit for students in Title I schools that are part of the Verizon Innovative Learning Program, and committing an additional $10 million to nonprofits supporting students and first responders.
Uninterrupted Internet & Communications Services
Federal Communications Commission:
Given the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on American society, [most internet and communications agencies] pledge for the next 60 days to:
- not terminate service to any residential or small business customers because of their inability to pay their bills due to the disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic;
- waive any late fees that any residential or small business customers incur because of their economic circumstances related to the coronavirus pandemic; and
- open its Wi-Fi hotspots to any American who needs them.
Supporting Kids Emotionally:
Child Mind Institute: https://childmind.org/article/talking-to-kids-about-the-coronavirus/
Online Mindfulness Classes: https://www.mindfulschools.org/free-online-mindfulness-class-for-kids/
Do you have suggestions for how to talk to my child about COVID-19?
There are several resources available. Here is a helpful article from the New York Times about how to talk to your child about Coronavirus:
Child Mind Institute: https://childmind.org/article/talking-to-kids-about-the-coronavirus/
Online Mindfulness Classes: https://www.mindfulschools.org/free-online-mindfulness-class-for-kids/
Do you have suggestions for how to talk to my child about COVID-19?
There are several resources available. Here is a helpful article from the New York Times about how to talk to your child about Coronavirus:
- New York Times: Talking to your child about the Coronavirus. The primary recommendations are: 1) assess what your child knows, 2) process your own anxiety first, 3) don’t dismiss your child’s fears, 4) talk at an age-appropriate level, 5) emphasize good hygiene, 6) frame potential school closures as a positive.
- New York Times: Helping teens manage their anxiety around the Coronavirus
- Brainpop – Coronavirus child-friendly video on Brainpop
- Center for Disease Control (CDC) – Fight Germs. Wash Your Hands |Acabe con los microbios. ¡Lávese las manos!
- NPR – What Kids Want to Know about Coronavirus
Support for Adults:
Article on what adults are experiencing: https://hbr.org/2020/03/that-discomfort-youre-feeling-is-grief
Article on what adults are experiencing: https://hbr.org/2020/03/that-discomfort-youre-feeling-is-grief
Emotional Support Virtual Meetings:
Online Recovery Group Meetings
Western Mass Recovery Learning Center videochat support groups: Mondays:
1pm to 2:30pm EST: Supporting People Struggling with Substances
Access by web: https://zoom.us/j/299310673
Access by phone: 646.876.9923
Meeting ID: 299 310 673
6:30pm to 8pm EST: Alternatives to Suicide Group
Access by web: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/129319114
Access by phone: 646.876.9923
Meeting ID: 129 319 114
Tuesdays:
1pm to 2:30pm EST: Peer Support Group
Access by web: https://zoom.us/j/870825710
Access by phone: 646.876.9923
Meeting ID: 870 825 710
5pm to 6:30pm EST: Alternatives to Suicide Group
Access by web: https://zoom.us/j/268279566
Access by phone: 646.876.9923
Meeting ID: 268 279 566
Wednesdays:
1pm to 2:30pm EST: Alternatives to Suicide Group
Access by web: https://zoom.us/j/913556470
Access by phone: 646.876.9923
Meeting ID: 913 556 470
Thursdays:
1pm to 2:30pm EST: Peer Support Group
Access by web: https://zoom.us/j/965983534
Access by phone: 646.876.9923
Meeting ID: 965 983 534
Fridays:
1pm to 2:30pm EST: Supporting People Struggling with Substances
Access by web: https://zoom.us/j/808576588
Access by phone: 646.876.9923
Meeting ID: 808 576 588
1pm to 2:30pm EST: Weekend Planning and Support
Access by web: https://zoom.us/j/178058485
Access by phone: 646.876.9923
Meeting ID: 178 058 485
Online Recovery Group Meetings
Western Mass Recovery Learning Center videochat support groups: Mondays:
1pm to 2:30pm EST: Supporting People Struggling with Substances
Access by web: https://zoom.us/j/299310673
Access by phone: 646.876.9923
Meeting ID: 299 310 673
6:30pm to 8pm EST: Alternatives to Suicide Group
Access by web: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/129319114
Access by phone: 646.876.9923
Meeting ID: 129 319 114
Tuesdays:
1pm to 2:30pm EST: Peer Support Group
Access by web: https://zoom.us/j/870825710
Access by phone: 646.876.9923
Meeting ID: 870 825 710
5pm to 6:30pm EST: Alternatives to Suicide Group
Access by web: https://zoom.us/j/268279566
Access by phone: 646.876.9923
Meeting ID: 268 279 566
Wednesdays:
1pm to 2:30pm EST: Alternatives to Suicide Group
Access by web: https://zoom.us/j/913556470
Access by phone: 646.876.9923
Meeting ID: 913 556 470
Thursdays:
1pm to 2:30pm EST: Peer Support Group
Access by web: https://zoom.us/j/965983534
Access by phone: 646.876.9923
Meeting ID: 965 983 534
Fridays:
1pm to 2:30pm EST: Supporting People Struggling with Substances
Access by web: https://zoom.us/j/808576588
Access by phone: 646.876.9923
Meeting ID: 808 576 588
1pm to 2:30pm EST: Weekend Planning and Support
Access by web: https://zoom.us/j/178058485
Access by phone: 646.876.9923
Meeting ID: 178 058 485