A student group at the University of Miami has assembled a list of community resources to help families and South Florida residents find all the crucial information they may need as the coronavirus outbreak continues.
"ContraCOVID and students at University of Miami Miller School of Medicine collaborated to create this document to serve the community of Miami, especially immigrant families," said Irene Goo, the Miami Project Leader for ContraCOVID.
"We hope it can ease the difficulty in finding social and financial help throughout the COVID crisis."
The group has put together a website and comprehensive document that link to a plethora of resources including food banks, grocery store hours, employment opportunities, financial assistance options, social assistance resources and more.
Also included is information about handling health insurance and unemployment, as well as a section on resources for immigrants and the undocumented community.
Below is a sneak peek of the table of contents and some of the resources you will be able to find. The information is available in Spanish as well as Creole.
Daily updates: hotlines and official information
- City of Miami: the city's update portal, a coronavirus fact sheet, business resources and updates, where to sign up for emergency alerts (text Join MDC to 34292)
- State of Florida: a gouging hotline to report gouging or scams related to COVID-19 commodities (1-866-966-7226), Florida Department of Health COVID-19 Call Center (1-866-779-6121) and website, where to find a local health center, where to find general information on symptoms and testing
- National: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 website
Food resources and delivery options
- A list of schedules, delivery & takeout options, and special deals for more than 300 Miami restaurants
- How to get free delivery for independent restaurants on Uber Eats (look for the EAT LOCAL banner in the app)
- Options for grocery delivery (Buddy System Miami at buddysystemmia@gmail.com, Instacart, Amazon Fresh)
- Information about food banks (including Curley's House, New Vision Church, and Jewish Community Services) and food distribution networks (like Farm Share and Feeding South Florida)
- A link that can be used to find meals for kids 18 and younger
- Information about food resources for seniors, including senior shopping hours and several hotlines (305-468-5900 for Miami-Dade County's call center, 1-800-963-5337 for Florida's Senior Connection Center)
Housing
- A directory of homeless and emergency shelters in Miami
- Where to find rental assistance from Miami Community Resource Centers
- Information about handling mortgages and evictions (Miami-Dade has suspended all eviction and water service cut-offs until further notice)
- How to apply for payment extensions or bill payment assistance with Florida Power & Light, as well as information about bill assistance programs
- Links to a free internet trial, how to get free wifi access for families with students at home with Charter Communications (call 1-844-488-8395)
Childcare
- YMCA announced it would be providing child care services for kids of first responders, healthcare workers and local government staff
- How to contact the Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe, which is offering child care referrals and other resources for families in need (305-646-7220, info@elcmdm.org)
Education
- Links to materials from Miami-Dade Public Schools, Miami-Dade Public Libraries, Miami University Library Resources
- Free instructional programs, education activities, educational YouTube channels, online learning experiences and other resources
- Hotlines for Miami-Dade County Public School parents (info about district emergency operations at 305-995-3000, help with distance learning at 305-995-4357)
Well-being
- Information sheets about handling mental health amid the pandemic, both general guidelines and advice tailored for helping children
- Information on what cancer patients and caregivers need to know about the virus
- Where to find free local online support groups for adults and families living with mental illness
- A link to Baptist Health South Florida's daily virtual wellness classes (including daily meditations, Zumba, boot camp and yoga)
- An array of links and hotlines for emergency support, including the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-888-273-8255 for English, 1-888-628-9454 for Spanish), the Samaritans and the Trevor Project
- Online options for addiction support and therapy & counseling (833-848-1762 is a free, bilingual helpline available 24/7 offering emotional support during the health crisis)
- A list of resources for domestic violence and abuse victims, including the Florida Domestic Violence Hotline (800-500-1119), the National Domestic Violence Hotline (800-799-7233) and where to search for an emergency domestic shelters
- A compilation of free workout classes, including fitness training, dance, Zumba, yoga, pilates and meditation
