Community Resources To Get Us Through the Coronavirus Pandemic

To report suspected cases of infectious disease: 617-983-6800

General information and updates about the Coronavirus:

www.mass.gov/COVID19
24/7 non-emergency hotline on the COVID19 outbreak. Dial 211 or visit the MA211 website.
Text "COVIDMA" to 888-777 to receive COVID-19 text message alerts straight to your phone and stay up to date with the latest news + updates from the Commonwealth.
The weekly Portuguese newspaper OJornal published a comprehensive document with Covid19 information. See the link at the bottom of this page.

Apply for Covid19 Emergency Financial Assistance through the Greater New Bedford Covid-19 Response Fund

For a comprehensive list of community resources, see the Street Sheet links at the bottom of this page.

Nutrition

For Important Information on the P-EBT program which provides food supports to help families with children who were receiving free and reduced-price school meals pay for food, click HERE.

For Important Information on SNAP (food stamps) benefits, click HERE.

Also, see attachments in English and Spanish at the bottom of this page.

To find food resources in your community, call the Food Source Hotline: 1-800-645-8333.

Grocery Store Senior Hours:

Costco: 8am-9am,Tues & Thurs
Market Basket: 5:30am-7am, Tues-Thurs
Roche Bros: 7am-8am Daily
Shaw’s/Star Market: 7am-9am, Tues-Thurs
Stop and Shop: 6pm-7:30pm, Daily
Target: first hour of opening, every Wednesday (store hours by location)
Trader Joe’s: 9am to 10am, Daily
Walmart: one hour before official opening on Tuesdays (store hours by location)
Walgreens: 8am to 9pm, Tuesdays (Discounts also available to 55+ on Tuesdays)
Whole Foods: one hour before official opening, daily (time depending on location)

Food Pantries and Soup Kitchens

St. Anthony's, Thurs, 10:00am-12:00pm, 1359 Acushnet Ave, New Bedford
Catholic Social Services, Wed & Thurs, 10:00am-12:00pm, 238 Bonney St. New Bedford
Seven Hills, Mon & Wed, 9:30am - 12:30pm, 1 bag per family per mo, 1177 Acushnet Ave, New Bedford
Damien’s Place, Tues, Thurs, Sat. 9:30am-12:00pm, 3065 Cranberry Hwy Wareham
Mercy Meals & More, breakfast-to-go, 6:30-8:00, Mon-Sat, Pilgrim Church Hall, Pleasant St. New Bedford
New Life SouthCoast, 5:00pm - 8:00pm, Thursdays,1331 Cove St, New Bedford
PACE Food Pantry, Mon-Fri, 10:00am-2:000pm, 161 William St New Bedford
Salvation Army – By Appointment ONLY – call 508- 997-6561, 619 Purchase St New Bedford
Sister Rose House, serving lunch, 11:00am-1:00pm, M-F, 75 Division St, New Bedford
Grace Episcopal Church, 9:30am-10:30am, Wednesdays, 133 School Street, New Bedford
Boys & Girls Club, 3rd Thurs of the month, 9:00am-12:00pm, 166 Jenney Lind St, New Bedford

Unemployment

MA has waived the waiting period for unemployment and most claims are now processed in a week. The quickest way to do so is online.

Handbook for claims due to COVID19

File for unemployment on the MA Department of Unemployment website

Dept. of Unemployment Assistance Claim Center (617-626-6800).

To be eligible for unemployment benefits, you must:

Have earned at least: $5,100 during the last 4 completed calendar quarters
Be legally authorized to work in the U.S.
Be unemployed, or working significantly reduced hours, through no fault of your own
Be able and willing to begin suitable work without delay when offered

For those in the Massachusetts restaurant industry who have lost their jobs because of the shutdown, the Greg Hill Foundation has teamed up with Samuel Adams to provide $1,000 grants to full-time, out-of-work restaurant workers. Apply/donate at the Greg Hill Foundation website.

Healthcare

MassHealth Hotline 24/7 Hotline: 800-841-290

In response the the Coronavirus outbreak, an extended enrollment period is available through May 25, 2020 for qualified Massachusetts residents who are uninsured. Apply on the MA Health Connection website.

Prescription Drug Assistance Program:

Free prescription drug discount cards for uninsured/underinsured New Bedford residents. Apply here.
Financial Assistance for seniors over 65 and disabled persons. Hotline: 800-243-4636 or apply online

Housing

Emergency Shelter Hotline: 617-573-1106

Find emergency shelter locations here.

MA Department of Housing and Community Development office: 617-573-1100

Alternative Housing Voucher Program (AHVP): for low-income, disabled and under 60-years-old

MA Rental Voucher Program: for residents making less than 50% of federally determined area median income

Rental Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT): for families with income below 50% of area median income.

State Public Housing: applicant usually cannot make more than 80% of area median income.

Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program: for families with income below 30% of the area median income. There is a 3 year or more wait in most MA municipalities.

Public Welfare Benefits (food, cash assistance, etc.)

Department of Transitional Assistance Hotline: 877-382-2363
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for low-income US citizens. Program provides EBT debit card to buy household goods. Apply here.
Temporary Assistance for Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC) for low-income US citizens with a dependent child or child due within four months. Program provides cash assistance payments. Apply here.
Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled and Children (EAEDC) for low-income US citizens or legal non-citizens. Certain requirements must be met to be eligible. Apply here.
State Supplement Program (SSP) provides additional assistance to those waiting on social security income payments. Must be aged 65+, blind or disabled, a US citizen or legal noncitizen, and low-income Apply here

State Funeral Assistance: Eligibility requirements apply. Information and application here

Heat

Low Income Heat Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Hotline: 800-632-8175 List of service providers can be found here. (Available through April 30.)

Domestic Violence

Hotline: 1-877-382-2363
Emergency Shelter Hotline: 617-573-1106
Domestic Violence Specialist (New Bedford): 508-961-2013
Find more information here.

Mental Health

MA Crisis Hotline: 1-877-382-1609). To text with someone, text HOME to 741741
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Hotline: 1-800-985-5990. To text with someone, text TalkWithUs to 66746
EMS Program/Mobile Crisis Intervention 24/7 Hotline: 1-877-382-1609
Children's Advocacy Center of Bristol County is available to support parents and caregivers by phone with how to talk with their children and general support with strategies for anxiety. 508-674-6111

Childcare

Emergency Drop-off Child Care (New Bedford/Acushnet): State will pay for child care for essential workers who do not have in-home or alternative options. The approved sites are:

Carmen Jimenez,112 Mt. Pleasant Street, New Bedford. M-F 6:30am - 4:00pm. Contact Tel. 508-963-3297 email
New Bedford YMCA, 25 South Water Street, New Bedford M-F 8:00am-4:00pm. Contact Maxine Hebert Tel. 508-525-7347 email
Little Explorers, 2763 Acushnet Avenue, New Bedford M-F 7:00am-5:00pm. Contact Krystal St. Louis Correia Tel. 508-889-0213 email
Pamela Texeira, 11 Cedar Hill Drive, Acushnet, M-F 6:30am-4:30pm. Contact Tel. 508-789-5446 email

MA Department of Early Education and Care offers assistance if household income is below 50% of state median income. For a child with a disability or special needs, income must be below 85% of state median income. Call 211 for childcare assistance.

Small Business

Apply for low interest loans for small business capital from the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program.
More information about loans for small businesses can be found on the Greater New Bedford Economic Development Council website.