Resources to get you through the COVID-19 pandemic
Jenna Porazzo, right, extends food to a boy outside Jenny Lind Elementary School. With classrooms closed, Minneapolis Public Schools has continued free breakfast and lunches for students. Each combo bag included cereal, yogurt, fruit, broccoli, milk and other items. Photo by David Pierini
This list will be updated daily. Send your resources to kenzieo@pillsburyunited.org or call 651-245-2647.
Click here for the latest updates from the city, the state, and the federal government.
FOOD
This week (March 30-April 3), the Minneapolis Public Schools food bus service is providing both daily meals AND beginning its weekly schedule for the grab and go food. Each weekly food box will contain five breakfasts and five lunches for a total of ten meals. Families are welcome to take one box per child, per week. This free food is for ALL children 18 and younger, no matter where the kids go to school. No paperwork or identity is checked. Also included are persons over 18 years of age who have been determined eligible for transitional education services by Minnesota Department of Education. Friday, April 3, will be the last day for daily food pick-up. After that, food will be available only for weekly pickup. Find a location near you, here.
Use the Free Meals for Kids mobile app to find and access free meals at hundreds of schools and other sites across Minnesota.
Northpoint Health and Wellness offers a community food shelf at 1835 Penn Ave. N. It’s open 10am-4pm, Monday-Wednesday. Intake closes at 3:30pm. New intakes are taken over the phone: 612-767-9500. The food shelf has suspended choice shopping and is pre-packaging food according to family size.
The NorthPoint food shelf has an increased need for donations as need for food has surged. Visit northpointhealth.org/donate for dropoff and pickup details.
Camden Community & Help At Your Door is providing grocery assistance to community elders and neighbors with disabilities, delivery fees are waived for those who qualify! Also looking for volunteers to make deliveries.
New Salem Missionary Baptist Church is delivering meals to seniors in Elliott Park, Bryn Mawr, North Minneapolis, and Downtown Minneapolis. Contact 612-250-8799.
Gethsemane Lutheran Church and New Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist Church is offering The Camden Promise: regular distribution, Monday and Friday at 9:45am, prepacked boxes for pick-up. Wednesday: 6:00pm community meals prewrapped and a box of food to go. Additionally, providing daycare scholarships for the children of healthcare workers and anyone else who has a need to keep working to support their families. 4656 Colfax Ave. N. Minneapolis, MN 55412. Support this work by making a donation.
Free takeaway dinners for all are offered at Oak Park Center (1701 Oak Park Ave. N) on Tuesdays-Thursdays from 4-6pm. One per person.
With one call, the Minnesota Food HelpLine assesses the caller’s situation and provides solutions to food needs: 1-888-711-1151.
Hunger Solutions has an extensive list of food shelves, senior resources, free meals, discount groceries, and farmers' markets across the state of Minnesota.
The City of Minneapolis has created an interactive food shelf map.
HEALTHCARE
NorthPoint Health and Wellness offers a variety of supports at this time. View the latest here. Main Campus Clinic hours at 1313 Penn are 10am-5pm, Monday-Friday. Phones are answered at 8am. MNsure and Snap Enrollment are located at the Main Campus. The 800 W Broadway Ave. office is closed. Northside Teen Clinic is open regular hours 3-6pm, Monday-Thursday. Cora McCorvey Center is open 10am-5pm Monday-Friday. The Food Shelf is open regular hours 10-4pm Monday-Thursday. Intake closes at 3:30pm. Harm Reduction and Testing Services is open Tuesday-Wednesday 2-5 pm and Thursday-Friday 11am-5pm. With questions, call the clinic at 612-543-2500 or Human Services at 612-767-9500. Everyone entering a NorthPoint location will be screened for COVID-19.
Immediate mental health support for people 18+ from Hennepin County: 612-596-1223. For people under 18: 612-348-2233.
NCE Wellness is providing therapy via telehealth and most major insurance companies pay for telehealth. For an intake call 612-310-8683 or visit their website.
The City of Minneapolis has created a COVID-19 Emergency Mental Health Fund. The fund supports individuals who are going through a crisis and whose ability to receive in-person-help is either limited or non-existent. Providers may apply for $2,500 to $7,500 to meet these needs. Opportunities include virtual therapy sessions, offering services through crisis hotlines and instructional videos on how to deal with stress. Interested providers can submit a brief application at minneapolismn.gov.
The insurance companies that sell private health insurance plans on MNsure are waiving co-pays, co-insurance and deductibles related to COVID-19 diagnostic testing. Minnesotans who are enrolled in these plans will have no costs associated with medically directed testing in compliance with the Centers for Disease Control guidance. You should contact your insurance company directly for questions about plan benefit details and how best to access care.
MNsure announced a 30-day special enrollment period (SEP) for qualified individuals who are currently without insurance. This SEP, that begins Monday, March 23, and runs through April 21, will allow uninsured individuals 30 days to enroll in health insurance coverage through MNsure.org.
HOUSING
Governor Walz has issued Executive Order 20-14 to temporarily suspend evictions (except in cases of illegal activity or when a tenant is endangering the safety of other tenants) and request that financial institutions place a moratorium on pending and future foreclosures.
The Minneapolis Public Housing Authority says it will not file any unlawful detainers or move forward with any eviction hearings until further notice.
The Federal Housing Finance Agency has released information on suspension of evictions and foreclosures with loans held by Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae. Check details for eligibility: evictions and foreclosures.
If you are experiencing homelessness, St. Stephens offers support.
INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY
The City of Minneapolis is providing free wifi via the USI Wireless network. Access it at minneapolismn.gov/wireless/index.htm. This website also offers a link to the “Get Connected Guide,” a list of organizations that provide free or low price options for computers and connectivity.
Comcast is offering free Internet while schools are closed to anyone who is eligible for FRPI, housing assistance, Medicaid, SNAP (food stamps), or SSL. No contract, no credit check, no installation fee, 25 Mbps speed. Visit internetessentials.com.
Minnesota After School Advance is offering up to 75% off Chromebooks to eligible families with school age children (K-12) to help with distance learning. Visit mnafterschool.org/chromebooks. For questions, call 763-202-9012.
EMPLOYMENT
If your employment has been affected by COVID-19, you can apply for unemployment benefits. On March 16, Governor Tim Walz issued an executive order to ensure workers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic have full access to unemployment benefits. Visit uimn.org for instructions. If you need to talk to someone, call 651-296-3644. You can be assisted in Spanish, Hmong, Somali, or any other language you prefer. Customer Service representatives are available Monday-Friday, 8am-4:30pm. Through the CARES Act, self-employed people are newly eligible for unemployment benefits.
Springboard for the Arts is sponsoring a personal emergency relief fund that provides Minnesotan artists grants of up to $500 to compensate for income lost due to canceled gigs or events. More information and the application can be found on Springboard for the Arts’ website.
MRAC has announced an emergency relief fund for small arts groups and nonprofits. Learn more and apply here.
BUSINESS
LISC has $2.5 million in funding to provide grants of up to $10,000 to businesses facing immediate financial pressure because of COVID-19—especially entrepreneurs of color, women-owned businesses and other enterprises in historically underserved communities who don’t have access to flexible, affordable capital. It can be used for paying rent and utilities, meeting payroll, paying outstanding debt to vendors, and other immediate operational costs. Learn more and apply here.
The US Small Business Administration is offering low-interest federal disaster loans for working capital to Minnesota small businesses and nonprofits suffering substantial economic injury as a result of the coronavirus. This would allow businesses to apply for loans to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills they can’t pay due to the disaster's impact. Visit: sba.gov/disaster-assistance/coronavirus-covid-19. Questions? Contact your business advisor first and then call the SBA hotline at 1-800-659-2955.
The City of Minneapolis’ Business Technical Assistance Program (B-TAP) and Small Business Team have put in place emergency funds to assist Minneapolis businesses and non-profits with COVID-19 related issues. This assistance can be used to help navigate layoffs, assess finances and triage expenses, apply for relief funds, transition to e-commerce, etc. Davis Law Office is an approved provider for these services and is happy to help or to connect you with the appropriate provider for your need – send questions/requests to covidresponse@davismeansbusiness.com.
Tips from NEON:
Check if your business income insurance has a disaster relief program.
Contact your bank: ask for relief from large payments NOW.
Avoid predatory lenders: always consult with your business advisor BEFORE signing a loan.
Practice self-care: as entrepreneurs during this scenario you may tend to simply work more and harder. You are an essential piece of your business, take care of yourself.
Seek alternatives to layoffs: employers experiencing a slowdown in their businesses or services as a result of the pandemic may apply for the Unemployment Insurance Shared Work Program. This program allows employers to seek an alternative to layoffs –retaining their trained employees by reducing their hours and wages. These wages can then be partially offset with Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits. Apply at uimn.org/employers/alternative-layoff/index.jsp.
ENTERTAINMENT & EXERCISE
The Yoga Room is providing online yoga classes on Facebook, check "events" for the next scheduled class. The community can support the studio by taking the classes and sharing the events with friends on Facebook. Payment is $10 suggested or pay what you can via paypal to laurie@northsidecenter.net.
Fitness instructor Val Turner is holding virtual Zumba, cardio boxing and strength training classes for kids ages 4-11 Mondays and Wednesdays from 12:30-1 pm starting March 23 and running through Wednesday, April 29. Turner will run the class via Zoom, a video conferencing app. She is asking for a minimum donation of $2, which can be transferred with the Cash App. For more information, reach out to Turner via her Facebook page.
Fitness instructor Chaz Sandifer is offering unlimited exercises classes, wellness chats, and meal prep for $20 via Zoom, the video conferencing app. Classes include HIIT, cardio-kickboxing, Trap Bandz, Circuit Training, and more. Sign up by emailing thenewmpls@gmail.com.
While Minnesota Historical Society historic sites and museums remain closed through May 1, there are still many ways the public can engage with Minnesota history. MNHS has created a new webpage with resources for Minnesotans to do #HistoryatHome all in one convenient place.
While the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Boards's recreation centers and programming buildings are closed, there's still plenty to do outdoors. Parks and trails are open for hiking, walking, biking, or just sitting and breathing fresh air during these stressful times. Be mindful of social distancing and maintain a safe, appropriate distance. MPRB events held in neighborhood and regional parks that are produced by the MPRB will be cancelled through August. Staff will work to determine if an event can be moved to later in the year, but they anticipate the majority of all MPRB spring and summer MPRB produced events will be cancelled, as they are being cancelled throughout the country.
OTHER SERVICES
Are you a high school-aged black girl needing sisterhood amidst this current reality? Project Diva offers several ways to connect via Zoom and Facebook.
Victory neighborhood residents in need of grocery shopping, medication pick ups, transportation, food support, and household supplies can contact their neighborhood association for support at victoryneighborhood.org or 612-529-9558.
Folwell Neighborhood Association is collecting items for home bound residents. Donate items to the FNA Drop off location. Text 612-227-0410 to set up a time. Items include: non perishable food, over the counter medicine, toiletries, bottled water, laundry and dish supplies, toilet paper, etc. Volunteers are also needed to help deliver donated goods. If you would like to help contribute financially, you can donate through Paypal using donate@folwell.org. If you are a Folwell resident who needs assistance, please fill out the request form at folwell.org.
Free JPAY from Peace of Hope, Inc. is being offered during the COVID-19 crisis while no prison social visits are permitted. Direct message your name, their name/OID# and state location to the organization’s founder Sharon Brooks Green on Facebook. Include up to a three sentence message you'd like to convey.
Starting March 16, 2020, Minnesota courts have changed how they handle some types of cases because of the COVID-19 outbreak. The courts are open. But DO NOT come to court in person unless you have to. The courts split case types up into different groups. A “High Priority” group of cases will continue as normal. The rest of cases are suspended for 14 days. Examples of high priority cases are: orders for protection, restraining orders, and mental health commitments. For more information, visit: mncourts.gov/Find-Courts.aspx or lawhelpmn.org.
Xcel Energy will not disconnect service for failure to pay. The energy company’s CEO promised not to disconnect service to any residential customers until further notice in an email statement on March 16. If you are having difficulty paying your bills, contact Xcel and they will arrange a payment plan that works for you.