E-Newsletter . Issue 269 . May 1, 2020
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Greetings!
Welcome to the Barnstable County Department of Human Services' E-Newsletter. This bi-weekly newsletter is designed to provide timely information on health and human service topics of interest for people living and working in Barnstable County. For additional information visit the Department website at
www.bchumanservices.net
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SHINE is Here for Your Needs
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The Barnstable County SHINE Office is still available for your needs. Please click below to read the latest updates from Tracey Benson our Regional SHINE Manager. The second button is a video introducing the basics on both Social Security and Medicare.
If you have any questions please call Tracey at:
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Free Grocery Delivery Service Launches for Barnstable County Seniors and Residents at Higher Risk
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The Cape Cod Medical Reserve Corps’ Delivery Service will help people who should stay home receive groceries and critical household goods.
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Yarmouth CDBG Program Job Retention/Creation Application and Legal Notices
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The intent of these programmatic changes is to provide a rapid response to the spread of COVID-19.
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Social Isolation for Family Members in Close Quarters
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Barnstable County Department of Health and Environment: COVID-19 Updates
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Links To Each Cape Cod Town's Health Department
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URGENT message from the AG's Office
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Food Access & Resources During COVID-19
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Free Student Meal Services & Pick-up Sites
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Access this map of sites serving meals to children and teens during April school closures due to Coronavirus pandemic.
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CLICK BELOW TO ACCESS FREE STUDENT MEAL SERVICE INFORMATION
(Open to ALL Students regardless of residence)
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Grocery Stores - Updated Service Hours
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Grocery Store Updated Services and Hours:
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The Council of Churches
operates as a "front-line" service provider in many areas and offers remote operations where possible. Please see below.
Faith Family Kitchen
will continue to provide nutritious dinners on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. Please note these revised hours. At the door, families and other adults will be given a paper bag containing Jeni's homemade soup plus a few supplemental items.
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Hands of Hope Food Pantry
will continue distributing a single prepackaged bag of groceries during regular hours of operation, which are Monday and Friday 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., and Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 1 p.m.- 3 p.m. Clients will wait outside the door for a bag that is designed to feed 1, 2, 3 or 4 people. New clients, please call 508-432-1312 or email
churcheshoh@comcast.net
first to register. No client should come inside the building during service hours. The Thrift Store is closed until further notice. Hands of Hope is located at 49 Route 28, West Harwich.
A Baby Center
will offer "To Go" bags of baby essentials for existing clients on Wednesdays 10 a.m. - noon. This will be a "drive up window" service only; no clients are to enter the building. A Baby Center is located 81 Willow Ave, Hyannis.
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Barnstable County COVID-19 Recovery Resources
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COVID-19 can be difficult for all of us but especially for those in recovery. This might be exacerbated by people unable to attend their normal support group meetings or other recovery supports. Please click on button below to find local and nationwide resources related to substance use disorder and mental health. You can also call the MA Substance Use Helpline anytime at 800-327-5050.
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A Conversation on Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health During COVID-19
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Talking To Children About COVID-19
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Community Agencies and Therapists Offering Telehealth Support
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The Barnstable County Children's Behavioral Health Work Group has developed a list of community agencies offering telehealth support
HERE
Please email
barbaradominic612@gmail.com
if you have additional telehealth support that you would like listed, or if you want to update your listing. This listing will be periodically updated and distributed by Barnstable County.
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Mental Health and COVID-19
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We are amid an unprecedented public health crisis, yet we also have an extraordinary opportunity to come together within our families and our communities to reduce the stigma that often surrounds mental health.
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The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention encourages everyone to engage in an open, honest dialogue with their friends and loved ones, to demonstrate compassion and kindness, and to practice self-care by exercising, meditating, and consuming the news in measured doses. And, reach out to those who may be isolated and need the extra support.
These actions can save lives and positively change our collective culture surrounding mental health for the long-term. We hope these tools help you to spread positive messages of hope, compassion, mental health care and suicide prevention.
For helpful and informative resources about mental health and Covid-19, check out AFSP's dedicated webpage:
www.afsp.org/covid19
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Helpful Utility Links During COVID-19
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Donation of Home-Made Face Masks and Face Shield Headbands to Support COVID-19 Emergency Response
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The Cape Cod Medical Reserve Corps (MRC),
in service to the Barnstable County Incident Command COVID-19 response, wishes to bring to the public's attention the following information for people willing to produce and donate face masks and the headbands that hold plastic face shields. Learn more
HERE
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Housing Assistance Established Cape Cod COVID-19
Workforce Housing Relief Fund
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Housing Assistance has established the Cape Cod COVID-19 Workforce Housing Relief Fund to provide urgent and ongoing assistance with past due rent or mortgage payments or other housing-related expenses for current, year-round Cape Cod and Island residents who are losing income due to the coronavirus. To apply for support for any Housing Assistance programs, contact an intake counselor at
hac@haconcapecod.org
508-771-5400. See more information
HERE
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CARES Act & UI COVID Materials for Providers & YYA Experiencing Homelessness
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The Massachusetts Appleseed Center for Law and Justice has released informational pamphlets on the
CARES Act
and
Applying for Unemployment Benefits
to assist Youth and Young Adults navigate systems for critical resources during the Coronavirus pandemic. Access to these resources play an important role in maintaining housing stability for our region’s young persons facing financial hardship due to loss of employment. Additional resources for Unaccompanied Youth and Young Adults age 24 and under that are homeless or at-risk of homelessness can be accessed through the Program Manager at
daniel.gray@barnstablecounty.org
or one of our
community partners
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Thank you for helping us help others
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Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund
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Launched by Massachusetts Governor Baker and First Lady Lauren Baker, the
Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund
will help support essential frontline workers and vulnerable populations across the state, including Massachusetts residents and immigrants facing homelessness, food insecurity and loss of critical services as a result of the COVID-19 public health crisis. The Fund is administered by Eastern Bank providing a safe and reliable way for donations to be made to this Fund, and at no cost to the Fund. In addition to the $10 million already announced by our Charitable Foundation, our Foundation has donated to this fund and Eastern is among the leading organizations and philanthropists that are Founding Donors. Please help at
https://www.macovid19relieffund.org
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Our Work Needs to Continue
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Duffy Health Center to Provide Pop Up Showers For Homeless
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The Homeless Prevention Council (HPC) is providing support for our neighbors in need on the Lower and Outer Cape. We have undertaken the following actions to ensure that services are not interrupted. Please read more
HERE
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Independence House continues to assist those in the community that seek help for domestic and sexual violence matters during the Covid-19 crisis. Remote services range in all areas including one-on-one counseling with active and new clients by phone and video, group video counseling, assistance with court applications remotely in order to obtain emergency 209A Restraining Orders or 258E Harassment Orders, and legal assistance and representation by a staff attorney. Their confidential emergency domestic and sexual violence shelter remains in full operation as well a 24-hour hotline at 800-439-6507. Full details about the Independence House Covid 19 response can be found at
www.independencehouse.org
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Many Hands Make Light Work
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Cape Cod Children's Place, The Community Development Partnership, The Family Pantry of Cape Cod, Helping Our Women, Homeless Prevention Council, Lower Cape Outreach Council
, and
WE CAN
have joined together to better serve the unique needs of the Lower and Outer Cape Communities. In this unprecedented time, their collaboration and communication is focused on removing barriers to human service delivery--now more important than ever. A list of free and confidential services provided by these organizations that community members can access is available
HERE
*All community members are welcome to reach out to the organizations regardless of income or immigration status.
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On-line Education Programs
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COVID-19 and Dementia: Common Questions/Topics
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Thanks to the Alzheimer’s Association for sharing the questions and answers for the most common concerns that they are hearing on their hotline calls. These documents will soon be available in Spanish.
You or anyone else – can reach out to the Alzheimer’s Assoc. 24/7 Hotline at 800-272-3900 to ask questions.
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Considerations for Moving a Loved One Home from a Nursing Facility, Rest Home or Assisted Living Residence
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Contacts for Older Adults and People with Disabilities Needing Non-Medical Emergency Assistance
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Please see a list of contacts for older adults and people with disabilities needing non-medical emergency assistance
HERE
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HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT INITIATIVES
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HUMAN SERVICES PUBLICATIONS-DATA
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SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
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In an effort to make the submission process as easy as possible, submissions will only be accepted using our online submission form. Submission buttons will be located at the bottom of every newsletter and on the homepage of our website. If you have questions regarding the newsletter, please email
HUMANSERVICES@BARNSTABLECOUNTY.ORG
Thank you!
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Barnstable County Submission Guidelines
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Please submit your news to be included by clicking on image above.
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- Content Policy - We are prioritizing timely information on the ever-changing landscape of health and human services events and opportunities.
- Due to the increasing number of submissions to the newsletter, the Department reserves the right to limit the number of times a submission is published.
- Posting of articles submitted for publication in the Barnstable County Department of Human Services E-Newsletter is at the discretion of the Department. To request this newsletter in alternate formats, please call 508-375-6628.
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Barnstable County Department of Human Services
P.O. Box 427, 3195 Main Street, Barnstable, MA 02630
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