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HUMAN SERVICES
Creating a Healthy Connected Cape Cod
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Edition 282 | October 29, 2020 |
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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.
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In honor of Veteran's Day, we are highlighting
two organizations that assist Veterans.
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Cape & Islands Veterans Outreach Center
The Cape and Islands Veterans Outreach Center (CIVOC) vision is to end chronic veteran homelessness and their mission is to provide comprehensive, life sustaining services and programs to veterans and their families. They deliver service-enriched housing and all-inclusive supportive programs to veterans to ensure a lasting reintegration into the families and communities for which they have sacrificed.
Stay up to date on the exciting work being done at the Cape and Islands Veterans Outreach Center by signing up for their Newsletter below! The first 500 individuals who sign up now until the end of November will be entered into a drawing for
a $100 Amazon Gift Card.
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Home Base, a Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital Program, is dedicated to healing the invisible wounds for Veterans of all eras, Service Members, Military Families and Families of the Fallen through world-class clinical care, wellness, education and research.
Their services are specifically designed to overcome common barriers to care for returning Veterans. They provide care to all Veterans and Families, regardless of ability to pay or discharge status, and utilize a “three generation” model of care that extends to parents, children, and extended family members who are effectively integrated into care.
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COMMUNITY NEWS / ANNOUNCEMENTS |
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Important: If You are Having Trouble Paying
Your Rent or Mortgage Because of Covid
There’s a lot of confusion about the federal eviction moratorium that’s now in place and what’s expected of tenants. What we know right now, is that for tenants to qualify for protection under the federal government’s moratorium, a tenant must apply for all available financial assistance and complete a declaration notice. Both the financial assistance application form and the federal declaration form are available online at www.haconcapecod.org
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Children’s Cove Warns of Local Surge in Online Exploitation
Cape Cod, MA – Children’s Cove, The Cape & Islands Child Advocacy Center, is calling on parents and caregivers to be extra diligent in the prevention of online exploitation of children as they attend school remotely and spend more time online. The level of risk has dramatically increased with predators also moving online and having more hidden and direct access to children. Since July 1, Children’s Cove has more than doubled its total referrals from the previous year. If this trend continues, there will be a 120 percent increase in local sexual exploitation referrals, as seen elsewhere across the state and country.
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The U.S. Farmers to Families Food Box program that has fed more than 3,000 families on the Upper Cape is now available on the Mid-Cape. There are (4) Events of Drive-Thru Food Distribution at Cape Cod Community College
We are thrilled with how our first distribution of Farmers to Families 32lb meal boxes from the USDA went. We’re honored to be partnering with Don Cox and the MA Military Support Foundation, who secured the grant that allows the food from the USDA to be distributed all over New England. John Cox and Cape Cod Community College partnering with us to allow distributions to happen on their campus and Matt Levesque working with the town to secure all the necessary cones and external assistance created the perfect trifecta! When great people and organizations collaborate, amazing things can happen!
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Donor Leaves Nearly $6.4 Million to the Cape Cod Foundation to Support Cape Cod
The Cape Cod Foundation recently received a bequest totaling nearly $6.4 million from an anonymous donor who felt a strong connection to Cape Cod and wanted to ensure there would be resources in perpetuity to support the community. This is the single largest bequest gift that The Cape Cod Foundation has received to date.
As per the donor's wishes, a portion of the gift has been allocated to endowment funds to support the Cape Cod Museum of Art and the Cape Cod Center for the Arts. The remaining portion will support the visual arts and other aspects of community life on Cape Cod. The Foundation will begin awarding grants from these funds in 2021.
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Community Health Center of Cape Cod Offers Pharmacy Services for Patients and Non-Patients Alike
Mashpee - Accessibility and integration of services are two of the core values of Community Health Center of Cape Cod and offering a variety of services reflects the continued commitment to provide accessible, quality care to the local community. The Health Center pharmacies are one of these key services that are offered. Access to prescription medication should never be a barrier to care, so the Health Center has two pharmacy locations that offer a large range of services and convenient hours of operation.
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Local Artists Launch “Art from the Heart” to Benefit Helping Our Women
Helping Our Women (HOW) - selected as the 2020 beneficiary of “Art from the Heart”, a grassroots fundraiser launched by Provincetown artists as an annual event where local artists can create art to sell and benefit a different non-profit each year.
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Executive Office for Administration & Finance Releases $5.8 Million for Permanent Supportive Housing
We are glad to be able to share that the Executive Office for Administration & Finance has notified the Legislature that it is making the $5.8 million for permanent supportive housing available, along with other newly released funding from the COVID-19 Supplemental Budget.
We are waiting to hear from the Department of Housing & Community Development about the next steps for how and when the funding will be disbursed. We know how essential this resource will be for sustaining existing units and creating housing opportunities to address the Commonwealth’s urgent need for non-congregate shelter and housing in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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New Publication! 'Lifelines', a Periodic E-newsletter That Provides Updates on the Major Crisis Relief Fund (MCRF) and Community Issues |
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YMCA Cape Cod Annual Meeting – Invest in Impact
BARNSTABLE COUNTY, 10/27/2020 – YMCA Cape Cod hosted its 2019 Annual Meeting, Invest in Impact, virtually this year on October 20, 2020. The event was postponed from an earlier date of March 24, 2020, scheduled to be held at Ocean Edge Resort in Brewster.
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Finding Support for Care in the Home
Join the American Parkinson Disease Association Massachusetts Chapter for this virtual educational program. Dave Tasto, local expert and author of “Thriving at Home - A Handbook for Preventing Hospital Stays,” will discuss how participants can find extra support at home for themselves or a loved one. Dave will discuss common situations at home, the types of help available, and provide advice on how to find the best home care for your needs.
This program is the first in our new APDA MA Virtual Education Series: Bringing Information to You at Home.
Registration is required for this free virtual program.
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Education Never Stops
Numerous opportunities to continue your education, click below to see all offerings.
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Survivor Day takes place on Saturday, November 21, 2020. We encourage you to save the date and generously share with others
Each year, on the Saturday before Thanksgiving in the U.S., those who have lost a loved one to suicide gather at events all over the world on International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day, also known as Survivor Day. There, whether virtually or in person, suicide loss survivors connect with others in their local community to share stories, gain insight about healing, and find comfort and hope in the knowledge that they are not alone.
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EEOC New York and Washington DC Virtual Regional Seminar
Let's Talk about "SEX" discrimination: A dialogue involving issues of sex discrimination including LGBT updates, sexual harassment, harassment based on sex, mediation, and other developing related topics.
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NAMI Basics, a free 6-week course for parents and family caregivers of children and adolescents with emotional or behavioral issues |
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Transgender Day of Remembrance
The Cape Cod Transgender Day of Remembrance on November 19, 2020 from 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM. Join us for a virtual celebration of life to honor and remember the victims of anti-trans violence. Speakers including Michael Cox of Black & Pink, Jennifer Love of the National LGBT/HIV Criminal Justice Working Group, Lysetta Hurge-Putnam Executive Director of Independence House, Rabbi Elias J. Lieberman, and Angelina Resto.
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Medicare OPEN ENROLLMENT Going on Now: Oct. 1, 2020 - Dec. 7, 2020 with Telephonic Appointments Only
Helping people navigate their insurance needs to best suit their lifestyle is something that takes experience and knowledge of the system. SHINE Counselors can help guide you through this process. If you would like to schedule a telephonic appointment for MEDICARE Open Enrollment, please call your local COA (Council on Aging) below or the Regional SHINE office at 508-375-6762.
CAPE COD COUNCILS ON AGING (COA)
- Barnstable 508-862-4750
- Bourne 508-759-0600 x5300
- Brewster 508-896-2737
- Chatham 508-945-5190
- Dennis 508-385-5067
- Eastham 774-801-3151
- Falmouth 508-540-0196
- Harwich 508-430-7550
- Mashpee 508-539-1440
- Orleans 508-255-6333
- * Provincetown 508-487-7080
- Sandwich 508-888-4737
- Truro 508-487-2462
- * Wellfleet 508-349-2800
- Yarmouth 508-394-7606
* Call Regional Office 508-375-6762
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New Report: How Innovative Community Responses to COVID-19 Support Healthy Aging
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Your Client May Be Eligible for an In-Person Appointment |
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CHNA27 Zoom Meeting - Nutritional Food Accessibility on Cape Cod
DATE: Thursday, Nov. 12th @ 9:00am - 10:30am
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Transgender Social Support Group |
Group is open to trans, non-binary, questioning, or other gender diverse identified people ages 18+. You do not need to be a Fenway Health patient to join, and the group is free to attend.
Group via Zoom (5:30-7:00 pm) meets on the first and third Wednesday of the month. Contact Ann at aburke@fenwayhealth.org
for more information and Zoom link.
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The LGBTQ+ youth group Thrive for youth ages 13 to 22 has been meeting virtually every Wednesday starting at 4 as a check in. We have weekly presentations from Thrive members and members of the community. This group is a safe space to discuss Gender, sexuality and race amongst other things. One Thursday out of every month we have a discussion on Race and Culture which strives to help educate people on these topics, especially with the current Civil Rights movement that is occurring. If you are interested in joining one of our meetings or interested in presenting on a topic, please email ash@wethrive.us and include your name, the topic you are presenting and a brief description.
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COVID-19 NOTICES / RESOURCES |
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Barnstable County COVID-19 Recovery Resources |
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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Barnstable County Department of Health and Environment: COVID-19 Updates |
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Food Access & Resources During
COVID-19
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Provincetown COVID-19 Resource Guide Available Online |
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Providing Support for Wellfleet Residents During The Pandemic |
The Wellfleet Well Line (508-514-1633) is officially up and running. As a group of health care professionals, each with lifelong and varied careers, we came together to provide emotional support to the Wellfleet community during this trying time.
We welcome the opportunity to help in any way, which includes the dissemination of updated health and safety information to the community. Having accurate information, gives us the ability to make informed decisions, it relieves anxiety and engenders trust in those in charge.
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COVID-19 Test Site Locator |
CLICK GRAPHIC TO ENTER TEST SITE
This map provides an easy way to locate a COVID-19 test site near you. All of those experiencing symptoms or those who have been in close contact recently with a COVID positive individual should seek testing.
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HUMAN SERVICE DEPARTMENT INITIATIVES |
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HUMAN SERVICES PUBLICATIONS-DATA |
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SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER |
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NEWSLETTER SUBMISSIONS / GUIDELINES |
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Submissions will only be accepted using our online submission form. Submission buttons are located at the bottom of every newsletter and on the homepage of our website.
Please submit your news by clicking image on left.
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- Content Policy - Attachments must be in .PDF FORMAT ONLY please.
- 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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