Contents courtesy of:

State Representative Bob Merski - District 2

COVID-19 RESOURCES (ERIE, PA)

There's help out here during the virus so you can stay afloat while you're staying safe!

ACCESS TO INFO & UPDATES:

YOUR RIGHTS:

REGISTER TO VOTE (Deadline to register is October 19, 2020 to register for the November Primary)

HEALTHCARE AND COVID-19 TESTING:

Name

Address

City

Publicly Accessible

Website

Notes

Walmart

108 Washington Towne Blvd North

Edinboro

Yes

MyQuest at Quest Diagnostics

Mon - 7am-9am

Wed - 7am–9am

Friday - 7am-9am.

Millcreek Township Urgent Care Center

5039 Peach Street

Erie

Yes

MedExpress

Open daily: 8am – 8pm

Rite Aid

5430 Peach Street

Erie

Yes

Rite Aid Pharmacy

Mon – Fri: 10am – 8pm

Sat – Sun:

10am – 5pm

Testing

everyone over 18 years of age.

Must register online:

Rite Aid Registration

CVS

3750 Sterrettania Road

Erie

Yes

CVS Pharmacy

Appointment Required – Preregister

  •  Highmark will cover coronavirus testing, when recommended by a medical professional, for members of its fully insured group customers, as well as members of its Medicare Advantage and ACA plans. Self-insured health plan sponsors will be able to opt-out of the program.
  •  UPMC and UPMC Health Plan will waive any applicable deductibles, copayments, or other cost-sharing for COVID-19 testing when ordered by a member’s treating medical provider. This no-cost coverage of COVID-19 testing as a preventive service will apply for members in all of UPMC’s commercial UPMC Advantage group and individual products, UPMC for Life Medicare Advantage plans, and UPMC for You Medical Assistance plans. Self-insured or administrative services only (ASO) employer groups will be permitted to opt-out of preventive coverage at their discretion.
  • For information on other providers, you can visit HERE

INCOME ASSISTANCE, LOANS, GRANTS, ETC:

Loans:

  • Business owners in the city in need of short-term liquidity, please contact Tina Mengine at the Erie County Redevelopment Authority, City of Erie Business Development Officer, Jenn Hoffman or City of Erie Director of DECD, Chris Groner about the Small Business Emergency Loan Fund.
  •  Up to $50,000.
  • Zero percent interest for the life of the loan
  • Terms are 1-3 years
  • No payment for 90 days

  •    The U.S. Small Business Administration is offering designated states and territories low-interest federal disaster loans for working capital to small businesses suffering substantial economic injury as a result of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). Upon a request received from a state’s or territory’s Governor, SBA will issue under its own authority, as provided by the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act that was recently signed by the President, an Economic Injury Disaster Loan declaration.

Grants & Funds:

  • Citizens Bank Minority-Owned Small Business Grant

  • COVID-19 Relief Statewide Small Business Assistance

  • COVID-19 PA Hazard Pay Grant

  • Pennsylvania Fresh Food Financing Initiative

  •   Immediate Human Relief Fund:  A grant fund established to offer immediate relief to the populations served by Food Pantries, Homeless Shelters, Youth/Child Care Centers, and Elder Care Centers.  Organizations can apply for grants through the ECGRA online application system.  Apply Here
  • ROC - Restaurant Workers! - check here for a live list with tons of support resources
  • ONE FAIR WAGE - Emergency Coronavirus Fund for tipped employees & wage workers
  • Gig Workers Collective - National & State resources here
  • Mutual Aid Fund for LGBTQIA+ BIPOC (no location restriction. Donate or apply for funds.)

GOVERNMENTAL ASSISTANCE:

  • TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) here 
  • Unemployment - File an initial claim here . UPDATE 03/07/20:
  • FYI: Please note that the UC waiting week has been suspended. Eligible claimants may receive benefits for the first week that they are unemployed.
  • The fast way to apply is online: https://www.paclaims.pa.gov/UCEN/ 
  • Please be patient -- due to high demand, our UC system may experience intermittent
    slowness. Our UC team is working hard to process your claims.
  • For more information, visit http://uc.pa.gov/ 
  • Your job must have been lost or interrupted due to                    a presidentially declared disaster, and
  • You must not be eligible for regular unemployment insurance benefits.
  • Please see website for additional information on eligibility & applying for assistance
  • Workers Comp - If you’re exposed to COVID-19 in the workplace, we have important guidance on filing PA Workers’ Compensation claims. Learn more here .

PROTECTION FROM PRICE-GOUGING:

  • On Thursday, the Justice Department announced it is activating a central fraud hotline (1-866-720-5721 or disaster@leo.gov ) and has ordered U.S. attorneys across the nation to appoint special coronavirus fraud coordinators
  • Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office

UTILITIES, RENT, ETC:

  • FirstEnergy (Penelec) - Temporarily suspends shutoffs and offer payment options to help ease hardships
  •  National Fuel is encouraging customers to contact them to discuss how they might be of assistance as numerous payment assistance programs are available. Late charges for people impacted by this pandemic will be waived.
  • Erie Water Works is suspending its water service terminations for delinquent accounts until further notice. The need for safe hygiene practices is of the utmost importance at this time and water service is an important component of public health and safety. EWW is also suspending its meter replacement program, and will not be entering homes to capture water meter readings.
  • Public Utility Commission http://www.puc.pa.gov/about_puc/covid_19.aspx
  • Heating Assistance LIHEAP info here
  • Anyone who receives LIHEAP also qualifies to have a broken heating system (furnace, boiler, gas line, etc) repaired or replaced at no cost to them. They can request a referral by calling the department of human services at 412-562-0330

FOOD RESOURCES:

  • Similarly, anyone who has lost hours, etc. because of COVID-19 and has a reduced income may be eligible for SFPP and TEFAP. On the self-declaration of need form, they should circle the income level that currently reflects their new (and potentially temporary) circumstances. As noted above, once their income picks back up, they would need to fill out new paperwork and declare that if they intend to continue to obtain food through these programs.

FOOD: TAKE-OUT OPTIONS:

  • Erie Reader is updating this list of food take-out/delivery options.
  • Erie County PA Take-out/Delivery Facebook Group

PUBLIC TRANSIT INFO:

  •   EMTA COVID-19 info - Due to COVID-19 disease and a abundance of caution, The Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority has made the decision to implement a three-tiered emergency operations system to curtail transit to essential establishments.

CHILDREN & FAMILIES:

MENTAL/BEHAVIORAL HEALTH & PEER SUPPORT:

  • Nami

RECOVERY RESOURCES:

  • Erie Alcoholics Anonymous
  • Gaudenzia - Our facilities remain open during this time to serve those in need of critical behavioral health services. We are following the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) and well as state and local governments to keep individuals safe.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE & SEXUAL ASSAULT RESOURCES:

LEGAL RESOURCES:

  • (814) 452-6949.

VETERAN SERVICES:

  • Erie County VA Hospital - VA has implemented an aggressive public health response to protect and care for Veterans in the face of this emerging health risk. We are working directly with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other federal partners to monitor the outbreak of the virus.
  • Veteran’s Temporary Assistance
  • A person who served in the Armed Forces of the United States, including the reserve components and the National Guard, or woman’s organization officially connected therewith, who was discharged Under Honorable Conditions from Active Military Service (other than active duty for training); OR was Killed In Action; OR suffered a service-connected disability.
  • Must demonstrate an immediate need for financial assistance in order to provide
    himself/herself and his/her family with the necessities of living.
  • Must be a current resident of Pennsylvania.
  • Upon the death of a veteran, his or her unmarried surviving spouse is eligible, provided the Veteran would have qualified for assistance prior to her/his death

RESOURCES FOR OLDER ADULTS/SENIORS ELDERLY:

  • Area Agency on Aging is serving clients via the phone. Call the Senior Helpline at  814-459-4581 ext. 400. Be sure to leave your phone number so the staff can return your call. GECAC staff will not be conducting home visits.
  • Please continue to call the Older Adult Protective Services to report elder abuse. Call 24/7 814-451-1520
  • GECAC Meals on Wheels is delivering meals
  • Ombudsman via phone
  • Weatherization--crisis calls only. Contact the County Assistance Office at 461-2002
  • HomePlus
  • Work Ready via phone
  • Re-Entry via phone. Call (814) 870-5408

HIV+ INFO:

  • HIV testing is offered during our STD Clinic hours:
  • Tuesdays, 9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
  • Wednesdays, 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
  • Walk-in clients accepted during clinic hours; no appointment necessary.
  • HIV testing is also available by appointment.  Call the Erie County Department of Health at 814-451-6714 to speak to the HIV nurse.

HOMELESS SERVICES:

  • **In order to access any of the below emergency shelters, you must first call 814-Shelter.**

IMMIGRANT & REFUGEE SERVICES:

  • In our field offices, we are working with our clients in the refugee and immigrant communities to continue providing them with the critical services and financial assistance they need to help them weather this crisis. We are working with our partner agencies to cast a wide net over opportunities to use the skills and experience we have gained in over 100 years of serving victims of natural calamities, survivors of torture and war allover our country.

SUPPORT FOR SMALL BUSINESSES:

  • Kiva -0% loans for small businesses affected by COVID-19
  • Info for farms, farm markets, etc. 
  • Governor Tom Wolf announced the availability of low-interest loans for small businesses and eligible non-profits in all 67 counties in Pennsylvania through the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)
  • SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loans offer up to $2 million in assistance and can provide vital economic support to small businesses to help overcome the temporary loss of revenue they are experiencing. These loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that can’t be paid because of the disaster’s impact.
  • The interest rate is 3.75% for small businesses without credit available elsewhere; businesses with credit available elsewhere are not eligible. The interest rate for non-profits is 2.75%.
  • The full release can be found here: http://j.mp/2QweqZU 
  • Honeycomb Credit is offering discounted community-sourced loans for businesses impacted by COVID-19. Qualifying businesses can borrow $10,000 - $50,000 with an introductory 6-month interest-only period and no prepayment penalty.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED:

  • Second Harvest Food Bank
  • Volunteer operations are being modified to ensure safe social distancing. The emphasis on extra health and safety measures requires limiting the number of volunteers per shift as well as instituting new project guidelines, including the use of disposable protective gloves.
  • If you are healthy and under the age of 60, please consider volunteering at Second Harvest. Children between the age of 10 and 17 must be accompanied by an adult.

ACTIVISM & SOCIAL JUSTICE:

  • Join unions, advocates, people of faith and community members from across the state, whose
    work serves millions of Pennsylvanians, to demand expanded healthcare access during this
    critical time. http://bit.ly/amwfra #AWFRA #supportamericanworkers

EMPLOYMENT ANNOUNCEMENTS & CAREER SERVICES:

SELF-CARE & COOL STUFF FOR ANYONE:

SELF-CARE FOR HEALTHCARE WORKERS:

  • Headspace app free for healthcare professionals; will be able to access a full library of guided meditations (with a new one arriving each day), along with sleep sounds and bedtime exercises, all of which could help them destress. To register, you’ll need your National Provider Identifier (NPI) and an email address.

CONNECTING & COMMUNITY DURING SOCIAL DISTANCE:

PENNDOT:

  • PennDot Covid-19 Info

CENSUS 2020: