The COVID-19 pandemic is putting pressure on all of us. Whether or not we get sick, many of us are stressed financially and emotionally. Here's a list of resources for the Louisville community during this time. If you have suggestions for additions please email: news@wfpl.org.
Where To Find Meals
Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) is offering free breakfast and lunch for any child under the age of 18, at 66 different sites three days a week. Families can pick up breakfasts and lunches every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Click here for a list of locations and hours.
For weeknights, there’s Dare to Care Kids’ Café, where anyone under 18 can pickup a grab and go meal. Here’s a list of locations and hours.
JCPS students, parents and staff can also call 313-HELP for district assistance.
For people of all ages, Dare To Care has thisinteractive map for finding a food bank near you.
You can also call Dare To Care for help finding food assistance at 502-966-3821.
Americana Community Center is offering free weekday breakfast, lunch and dinner to children, and increasing the availability of translators for those seeking health information.
If you're in a high-risk segment of the population,here are some grocery stores that are offering dedicated shopping hours to older people and those with chronic illnesses and/or compromised immune systems.
For service industry folks, prominent chef Edward Lee is offering meals and supplies for pick-up at 621 West Magnolia from 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. seven nights a week through a Restaurant Workers Relief Program.
Laid-off service-industry workers should bring a pay stub to show they worked in a restaurant.
To see if you qualify for SNAP (food stamps) visit benefind.ky.gov.
Internet Access
Charter is offering free Spectrum broadband and WiFi for 60 days for families of K-12 or college students, beginning Monday, Mar. 16. Here's the number to call: 1-844-488-8395. Installation fees will be waived as well. More info here.
Unemployment Insurance
Gov. Andy Beshear is waiving the waiting period and work-search requirements for those seeking unemployment insurance. You can apply by phone at 502-875-0442 or online at www.kentuckycareercenter.com. People are being asked to apply on the following schedule, by the first letter of their last name:
Sunday: A-D
Monday: E-H
Tuesday: I-L
Wednesday: M-P
Thursday: Q-U
Friday: V-Z and if you missed your day.
Here's a helpful video from the state on how to apply:
https://youtu.be/rDz8TksYi8A
If you've lost income, you might also qualify for Medicaid.
If you're looking for employment, Kentuckiana Works has a jobs board listing companies that are still hiring.
Help For Small Businesses
Small business, contractors and for-profit and non-profits in Kentucky that have been harmed by COVID-19 are eligible to apply for low-interest loans from the federal government to help recover, called Small Business Association (SBA) Economic Injury Disaster Loans.
SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans applications can be completed and filed online at www.sba.gov/disaster. You can also call 1-800-659-2955 (TTY: 1-800-877-8339) or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Here is an SBA loan fact sheet.
Gov. Beshear's office says that businesses should also try to work with their banks or credit unions. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is encouraging financial institutions to work in a "prudent manner" with businesses affected by the pandemic.
Addiction Help
Narcotics Anonymous, Louisville Area: 502-569-1769
Greater Louisville Intergroup of Alcoholic Anonymous: 502-582-1849
Ways To Help Out
The Team Kentucky Fund provides assistance to Kentuckians who have been severely financially impacted by the COVID-19 emergency. You can donate here.
The One Louisville: COVID-19 Response Fund deploys resources to households, businesses, and community-based organizations. Here's the donate page.
Louisville COVID-19 Elder and High-Risk Match Program matches volunteers with people in need of assistance, from pharmacy pickups to grocery runs. Here's the website.
The governor's recent order directing restaurants and bars to end in-house service will no doubt be tough on the Louisville restaurant industry and its workers. The websiteKeep Louisville Restaurants Strong allows users to shop gift cards to support restaurants and bars over this period. If you're a restaurant owner, you can list gift card. There are also resources for restaurant workers facing unemployment or loss of income during this time.
You can also support service-industry workers by donating to Louisville chef Edward Lee's Restaurant Workers Relief Program. The program provides meals and supplies to restaurant workers laid off during the COVID-19 pandemic. You can donate at LEEInitiative.org.
Relief for local artists and arts professionals
Emergency Support Grants for Individual Artists:
The Robert and Clarita Whitney Fund donated $30,000 to Fund for the Arts, which matched the contribution, to establish the “Emergency Support Grant for Individual Artists.”
Musicians and visual artists financially impacted by pandemic-related shutdowns and closures can apply for these grants.
This is an extension of Fund for the Arts’ “Cultural Lou Recovery Program.”
The Louisville Arts Network:
Teddy Abrams, music director for the Louisville Orchestra, partnered with the city of Louisville and Kentucky Performing Arts to create the Louisville Arts Network.
The initiative offers “micro-commissions,” paying Greater Louisville artists of any discipline $150 to $200 to create an original work of art to be shared online during the pandemic. You must be 18 or older to apply. Details here.
Artist Relief Trust (ART):
The Artist Relief Trust, or ART, provides artists and arts professionals with $500 “rapid-response microgrants.”
A coalition of Greater Louisville cultural groups raised about $75,000 to ensure that closures and shutdowns from the COVID-19 outbreak don’t rob local artists of the ability to pay for basic needs, such as food, housing or health care.
Artists 18 or older and living in Kentucky or Clark, Floyd, Harrison, Scott and Washington counties in Indiana are eligible to apply.
National arts resources:
The National Endowment for the Arts is accepting applications for arts organizations and cultural agencies to receive a portion of the $75 million of funding that was designated to the NEA through the CARES Act.
Organizations that have received NEA funding in the past four years can apply for $50,000 grants to be used toward staff salaries, paying contractual artists or workers and facilities expenses. State and local cultural agencies that subgranting programs can request $100,000 to $250,000. The deadline to apply is April 22.
A national collective of cultural groups raised $10 million and established Artist Reliefto distribute $5,000 emergency grants to artists and arts professionals with urgent financial needs because of the COVID-19 outbreak.
This post has been updated.
