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COVID-19 Resources and Our Commitment to You
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Dear Friends,
We offer our continued gratitude for your work and support of community health and well-being during the COVID-19 crisis. These are difficult times for everyone, and we salute all of our partners for their tremendous service. Thank you to state and city leadership for your unwavering management of this crisis and for putting the needs of people first.
While the environment in which we work may be different and unfamiliar, PHIMC's mission remains the same. We are here to build capacity and provide support for our partners so they can do their best work right now. Our efforts ensure our partners are successful in providing medical care and health education services, substance use disorder prevention and care, food access, HIV prevention and care, and ongoing affirmation and support for their clients. We are all in this together.
To stay up to date on the most breaking information, local issues, and resources, please visit the State of Illinois and/or the City of Chicago Coronavirus Response Center.
Sincerely,
Karen A. Reitan
President & Chief Executive Officer
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To address the uncertainty and instability many Americans are facing during this outbreak, the federal government passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, a COVID-19 response package aimed to inject $2 trillion into the economy.
The CARES Act aids individuals, nonprofits, and businesses. A brief summary of the CARES Act can be found here. Below is some information on how this bill can impact you and your community.
For Individuals and Families:
- Individuals who earn less than $75,000 annually will receive a direct payment of $1,200, plus an additional $500 for every qualifying child age 16 or under. Married couples who file a joint return and earn less than $150,000 are eligible for up to $2,400 plus an additional $500 for every qualifying child age 16 or under.
- Eligible workers will get an extra $600 per week on top of state unemployment benefits to cover lost wages. Part-time, self-employed, and gig-economy workers are newly eligible for benefits. Apply here.
- States will receive $3.5 billion in Child Care Development Block Grants to help provide child care to healthcare workers, first responders, and other essential employees.
- Federal student loan payments will be suspended until September 30.
For Nonprofits and Businesses:
- Small businesses and nonprofits will have access to $350 billion in forgivable loans to help cover costs related to payroll, operations, rent, utilities, and interest on debt. There are three types of loans available: the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), the Emergency Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDL), and the Midsize Loan Program. The deadline to apply is June 30. Learn more about these loans here.
- Applications for the loans are now live and can be found here.
- The Small Business Administration (SBA) is offering $10 billion in emergency disaster loans of up to $2 million for local business owners and nonprofits. Nonprofits are allowed to draw an advance of $10,000 within three days of applying. The deadline to apply is September 30. Learn more about the emergency loans here.
Sources:
Additional Resource:
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Small Business Resources
and Emergency Relief
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(1) Small Business Guide and Checklist on Coronavirus Emergency Loans
Prepared by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce:
(2) Chicago Small Business Resiliency Fund
The City of Chicago has established a $100 million Chicago Small Business Resiliency Fund to provide small businesses and nonprofits with emergency cash flow during this health crisis. Funds will be provided to eligible businesses as low-interest loans. The maximum loan amount is three months average monthly revenues before the COVID-19 outbreak, up to $50,000. Applicants must be prepared to attest that they have suffered a revenue decrease of at least 25% due to COVID-19.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling first-come, first-served basis. Chicago Department of Public Health recommends that if the website is overwhelmed, you check back often to submit your application.
Apply Here
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Illinois Unemployment Benefits
- The Illinois Department of Employment Security recently adopted emergency rules, expanding the pool of residents that qualify for unemployment benefits and are now including part-time, self-employed, and gig-economy workers. Unemployment benefits may be available to some individuals whose unemployment is attributable to COVID-19 so make sure to check frequently for updates at www2.illinois.gov/ides.
Illinois Reentry Resources
Cook County: Can I be evicted?
- Legal Aid Chicago created a helpful infographic to understand evictions in Cook County.
Chicago, Cook County, and Collar Counties
- HIV Resource Hub: The AIDS Foundation of Chicago and Center on Halsted can help with emergency financial assistance (rent, utility payments, COVID-19-related support) for people who are living with HIV and who are HIV-negative and taking PrEP. They can link people living with HIV to medications, case management, medical care, food, mental health, substance abuse treatment and more. They can also connect people vulnerable to HIV to PrEP, HIV testing, medical care and other resources. Services are available in Chicago, Cook County and the Collar Counties. Call the HIV Resource Hub at 1-844-HUB-4040 or learn more online here.
Chicago
- Guidance for Businesses and Employers: The Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) is reminding businesses that remain open during the State's Stay at Home order to comply with social distancing requirements. The most effective measures to decrease the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace remain social distancing, routine environmental cleaning, good hand hygiene, and sending sick employees home. Please follow CDPH recommendations for preventing transmission in the workplace and help Chicago flatten the curve.
- Chicago Public Schools Meal Sites are changing for grab-and-go meals effective Monday, April 6. Details here.
Some of this information was provided by Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH). To receive daily CDPH updates, sign-up here.
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PHIMC Administrative Offices
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To do our part in containing the spread of coronavirus and the resulting illness COVID-19, PHIMC staff began working remotely on Monday, March 16. On April 1, 2020, Governor JB Pritzker expanded the stay at home orders to extend through April 30, 2020 and PHIMC offices will continue operating remotely during this time. While remote, PHIMC staff are all available by email and phone during regular business hours, and staff are checking email and voicemail as always.
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AmeriCorps
- National Health Corps Chicago seeks AmeriCorps member applicants for the 2020-2021 service term.
- Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Allies seeks AmeriCorps member applicants to serve Illinois communities full-time or part-time beginning now or in the Fall, even while we shelter-in-place.
Illinois Safe Schools Action Camp
- Action Camp is a 5-day sleep-away leadership camp for rising 8th-12th grade LGBTQ+ youth and allies across Illinois that our Illinois Safe Schools Alliance program hosts every year in partnership with Youth Services. This year, camp is scheduled to take place August 3 - 7, 2020. Applications are open through the end of April: http://bit.ly/AC20app
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"Viktor Frankl, writing from the madness of the Holocaust, reminded us that we don't get to choose our difficulties, but we do have the freedom to select our responses. Meaning, he argued, comes from three things: the work we offer in times of crisis, the love we give and our ability to display courage in the face of suffering."
~ David Brooks, Opinion Columnist, New York Times,
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