YWCA St. Paul is providing information to assist those affected by COVID-19 facility closures who are seeking resources. If you or someone you know needs help with supplies, finances, or community support, please see and share the information and links below.
As we take actions to prevent the spread of disease, please remember to do what you can for others who are seriously impacted. Though we may be distancing ourselves physically, it’s important to remain connected and supportive as a community, now more than ever.
Food & Supplies
- St. Paul Public Schools have converted their bus routes into meal pickup locations, and children will be provided a week’s supply of meals on scheduled days. Minneapolis Public Schools are offering take-out lunches every school day. For further logistics, please follow respective links.
- Community restaurants are also responding to the needs of children kept home from school lunches. A crowdsourced list is available here, subject to change as further entries come in.
- Lunds & Byerlys has limited its opening hour of 7-8 a.m. each day to any shoppers at higher risk of severe illness from the outbreak, such as older adults and people with compromised immune systems.
Finances
- The state of Minnesota has announced potential eligibility for unemployment benefits. These apply if a person’s employment has been severely impacted by COVID-19. This includes:
- Having hours reduced for a role in the service industry (restaurants, bars, etc)
- Becoming sick and needing to quit a job due to medical necessity
- Being unable to find childcare alternatives and needing to quit a job
Community Support
- Although St. Paul Public Library facilities have closed, your local library remains a source of information, learning, and community-building. Many programs are still operating online.
- Gyms, coworking spaces, churches, and community centers are initiating a switch to online events in an effort to stay connected even when physically apart.
- The CDC offers guidelines for stress reduction and tips on how to stay in touch with others positively and safely.