Items to include in this newsletter
Equity & COVID-19: A Virtual Town Hall
Centering those most impacted by COVID-19 in both the immediate response and longer term recovery for our county is critical. The public health and ensuing economic crisis has impacted all of us but low-income people, people of color, our LGBTQI+, and other vulnerable communities have been hit hardest. On May 1st over 230 people joined a virtual Town Hall to hear about the County’s response to COVID-19 and share their priorities for COVID-19.
Expansion of COVID-19 Testing
Testing for COVID-19 is now available in Daly City and East Palo Alto as well as San Mateo. Testing is available Monday through Saturday on a rotating basis through the three cities and free to any resident without the requirement of a doctor’s note, symptom screening or medical insurance. See all three locations and how to schedule an appointment at https://www.smcgov.org/covid-19-testing.
Outdoor Recreation Opportunity High for County Residents
According to a report by The Trust for Public Land, access to parks promotes improved physical and mental health and plays a critical role in child development. As San Mateo County parks have begun to open, it is the best time to get outdoors to visit your local green space while practicing social distancing and wearing a mask. San Mateo County residents have better access to these open spaces than most California counties.
Social Distancing
Please watch this video to learn about social distancing and why it is important to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Boards & Commissions Vacancies
Daly City Small Business Commission: Resident and registered voters of Daly City who are interest and motivation to serve the public, have sufficient time available to devote to evening meetings are encouraged to apply any time.
Board of Supervisors Adopts Rent Freeze
The Board of Supervisors continues to show leadership to protect tenants in San Mateo County during the public health and economic crises.
Schedule a Virtual Healthy Home Check up!
Our colleagues at San Mateo County Environmental Health continue to provide virtual healthy homes assessments to make sure that you and your family can live in a home free of mold and pests. For information, please contact Cynthia Knowles at cknowles@smcgov.org or (650) 207-3115. She also provides services in Spanish. For more information on the program visit https://www.smchealth.org/saferpestcontrol.
Becoming Connected Resilient Educators in Uncertain Times
The San Mateo County School Wellness Alliance continues to host weekly sessions for educators and school staff to provide them strategies to build community in their virtual classrooms during the COVID-19 school closures. The sessions also provide participants with the opportunity to build community and to share challenges their experiencing during these unprecedented times. Carla Tantillo Philibert was the guest presenter on Wednesday, May 13th.
Much Needed Food Relief Funding
The US Department of Agriculture recently approved additional food assistance funding for families with children. Families that receive CalFresh, have children participating in the free and reduced price lunch program, or are on MediCal will receive an additional one-time EBT payment of $365 per child. This additional funding is an essential lifeline for families that are struggling to provide enough food for their families.
Virtual Tutoring Services Middle and High School Students
The San Mateo County Community College District has created a virtual tutoring program for students in grades 6th-12th to meet the need for academic supports during the current school closures. Students can find a current college student to tutor their children on subjects including English Language Arts, Science, and Math. Families pay a one-time fee of $75 to sign up and get matched with a tutor. The cost is then $20 an hour for the tutor.
Special Education Resources
COVID-19 related school closures have been challenging for teachers, students, and parents to adapt to There can be added challenges for students with learning challenges. Schools must still meet the needs of special education students during the school closures. Understood.org has created a list of resources for families with children in special education programs. To learn more visit the website here.
Job Loss Equals Health Insurance Loss
In the United States people primarily depend on employers to access healthcare benefits. As the number of unemployed residents increases, so does the number of people without health insurance. If you don’t have health insurance, please call the San Mateo County’s Health Coverage Unit Hotline at (650) 616-2002, from 8:30 am – 5 pm, Monday – Friday, to schedule a free health insurance screening appointment. Interpretation in multiple languages is available.
Local Job Boards for Those Seeking Jobs
Local organizations are regularly updating their job search boards with available jobs in the region:
Job Train jobs board: https://www.jobtrainworks.org/job-seekers-services/
SAMCEDA Jobs board: https://www.samceda.org/Employment-Information
NOVA Job Board https://jobboard.novaworks.org/
Seeking Applications from Local Food Providers to Serve Meal Program for High Risk Residents
Older residents at high risk from COVID-19 can receive three nutritious meals per day delivered to their home from restaurants and other food providers across San Mateo County, helping them stay home and stay healthy. If you are or someone you know is 65 and older, or age 60-64 at high-risk from COVID-19, are COVID-19 positive or have been exposed to COVID-19, and live alone or with one other eligible adult, you might be eligible (other criteria apply). Call (800) 675-8437, and speak to multi-lingual county staff to apply for meal delivery services.
New County Webpage with Food Assistance Resources
The COVID-19 public health crisis has exacerbated food insecurity across the country and San Mateo County is no different. A new webpage on the San Mateo County COVID-19 website provides information for resources including school meals, food bank distribution sites, Great Plates Delivered senior meal program, and food assistance programs, such as CalFresh and WIC. To learn how you can get food when you need it visit the website here.
Fund Your Active transportation Project in 2020!
Are you looking for funding for your active transportation project in San Mateo County? There are many resources available for funding opportunities, many of them which has just announced applications or will be announcing them soon. This page has a list of the active transportation funding for San Mateo County.
Family Priorities During COVID-19
Our CCCS partners are at the front lines of experiencing the challenges of COVID-19 and supporting families through their challenges. The issues that our families were facing before COVID-19 have just become more difficult and new challenges have been added. And community partners everywhere have stepped up to provide support however they can. Neighbors are supporting neighbors, community-based organizations are giving out food and clothing, leaders are calling to check-in on residents, and so many are helping families sign up for services and resources.
Trauma-informed Leadership During Crisis
CCCS partners are leading our communities during this crisis but are struggling with the heavy loads and how to best support their teams and communities during this unique and uncertain time. Trauma Transformed will be doing a training for our CCCS network on June 1st focused on trauma-informed leadership specifically during times of crisis. We will share more in next month’s newsletter. Looking forward to learning!
Please Share Resources
As a community of families and community based leaders, the CCCS network is an important place to share resources and information that our families could use during this difficult time. We are emailing resources to our network weekly and any new opportunities would be appreciated. If you have services or resources you are aware of that are relevant to our CCCS families, please contact Shireen Malekafzali at smalekafzali@smcgov.org.