Senator Steve Fenberg | COVID-19 Resources
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Recent Updates

 

State response 

    • Governor Polis instituted a statewide Stay-At-Home order that went into effect at 6am on Thursday morning, March 26 and will last until Saturday, April 11, 2020.
      What this means:

      • Coloradans are only to interact with their household and only leave their houses for essential activities and to take extreme precautions to limit coming in contact with potentially contaminated surfaces.
      • Essential activities include: obtaining food and other household necessities including medicine (and liquor or cannabis…); going to and from work if you are an essential employee; seeking medical care; caring for dependents or pets; and caring for a vulnerable person in another location.
      • Outdoor recreation is permitted at a legally-mandated safe distance of six feet or more from other parties.
      • Critical businesses are exempt from this Executive Order. Click here for a full list of critical businesses.
      • Exceptions to the order have been made for schools to provide meals/housing/distance learning, pastoral services for people in crisis, legal/title/real estate services, and houses of worship, as long as social distancing or online services are also implemented.
      • Coloradans are required to self-isolate if showing symptoms of COVID-19.

 

 

Federal response

The President signed a $2 trillion relief package into law on March 27. The following is included in the bipartisan package:

  • Up to 90% of adults in the United States will receive a one-time payment of $1,200, with a $500 addition per dependent child. Payments will be in the form of a check or direct deposit and will likely be processed in a matter of weeks.
  • Unemployment assistance will include 13 additional weeks of coverage, with coverage for part-time workers.
  • Small businesses will be provided $350 billion in loans, and much of this may be forgiven if employees are retained instead of laid off.
  • Food stamps will receive $15.5 billion, with more funds sent to food banks and farmers’ markets.
  • Additional funds will be provided for child care, heating/cooling help, and other social programs.
  • The package also includes injections of money into certain industries (e.g. airlines), but luckily, Democrats were at least able to put in requirement to prohibit things like stock buybacks.

Resources in State Senate District 18

 

Children & Family Services

 

Food Assistance
    • Boulder Valley School District is distributing several meals’ worth of food items and fresh produce to families on, and after, March 30, between 11:30am – 1:30pm. They will not be offered next as the District is in Spring Break. The addresses for each of the following location can be found on the BVSD website.
      • Creekside Elementary School
      • Crest View Elementary School
      • Columbine Elementary School
      • Emerald Elementary School
      • Louisville Middle School
      • Nederland Middle-Senior High School
      • Pioneer Elementary
      • University Hill Elementary School
      •  Sanchez Elementary School
    • St. Vrain Valley School District is operating 11 drive-through pick-up sites where students, families, and staff can receive lunch and breakfast food items between 11:00am-12:30pm. (Due to anticipated weather on Thursday, March 19, no meal distribution is planned, but will resume on Friday, March 20.) Addresses fro the following SVVSD meal distribution locations can be found on the SVVSD website.
      • Timberline PK-8
      • Northridge Elementary School
      • Altona Middle School
      • Sunset Middle School
      • Soaring Heights PK-8
      • Frederick High School
      • Mead Middle School
      • Lyons High School
      • Hygiene Elementary School (12:00 – 12:30 only)
      • Niwot High School (11:00 – 11:30 only)
      • Learning Services Center (11:00 – 11:30 only)
    • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) helps individuals and families buy food that is healthy and nutritious. Apply for Health First Colorado through Colorado PEAK.
    • Emergency Family Assistance Association (EFAA) in Boulder offers grab-and-go food bags for pick up at their main office on Yarmouth during regular business hours for Boulder and southern mountain residents.
    • Hunger Free Colorado has set up a Food Resource Hotline for anyone who needs help locating food. Call 855-855-4626, M – F (8 am – 4:30 pm) to find school meals, food pantries, and SNAP and WIC enrollment.

 

Mental Health
    • Mental Health Colorado has updated its resource page with useful information for those who are struggling with mental health of substance use challenges.
    • Colorado Crisis Services: If you are more seriously concerned about your own mental health or that of someone close to you, you can call the Colorado Crisis Services at 1-844-493-8255 or you can text TALK to 38255.
    • Mental Health Partners is still taking new clients, using telehealth sessions for assessments and evaluations. Please call 303-443-8500 to access those services.

 

Rent and Utilities
    • Emergency Family Assistance Association (EFAA) provides financial assistance for utilities, rent, or mortgages for Boulder and southern mountain residents.
    • Coordinated Entry staff will be working remotely and will be conducting assessments via phone only. If you are in crisis and need immediate assistance, call 720-386-9002.
      • Longmont Coordinated Entry: Client should call 303-579-7364 between noon-2:00pm.
      • Boulder Coordinated: Clients should call 303-579-4404 (daily 10:00am – 4:00pm except Tuesdays, from noon-4:00pm).
    • Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP) assists low-income families and individuals with their heating costs (ends April 30th).
    • Energy Outreach Colorado is a statewide nonprofit organization that helps Coloradans pay their utility bills during hardship.
    • Xcel Energy agreed not to disconnect residential customers until further notice.
    • Comcast is increasing internet speeds for all customers and offering 60 days of free internet services to low-income families.

 

Unemployment
    • The Governor has ordered up to four days of paid sick leave for certain workers experiencing flu-like symptoms and awaiting COVID-19 test results.
    • Anyone who has lost their job or had their hours cut due this pandemic may be eligible for unemployment insurance benefits.
    • For employers looking to avoid layoffs, CDLE’s Work-Share Program allows eligible employees to work fewer hours and collect partial unemployment benefits.

Additional resources

 

Ways to Donate and Volunteer

 

Help Colorado Now

If you’d like to donate or volunteer in the fight against COVID-19, head to HelpColoradoNow.org. The Colorado COVID Relief Fund has already raised nearly $3 million to help Coloradans impacted by the coronavirus. Also, private sector companies who want to partner with us on acquiring testing, critical constrained medical supplies, technology, or support services for people who are isolated, please also go to https://covrn.com/#Join-Innovation-response-team.

 

Personal Protective Equipment

To donate PPE keep the bare minimum amount of supply you need to conduct essential or life saving functions, and contribute the remainder to our state’s COVID19 response. If you have small quantities of supplies to contribute, between 1-25 boxes of personal protective equipment donate these supplies to your local public health department, local community health center, community clinic, or local hospital. If you have more than 25 boxes, or the pieces of larger equipment such as anesthesia machines or ventilators, fill out THIS FORM.

Stay Informed

For general questions, call (303) 389-1687 or 1-877-462-2911. For written answers in English, Spanish (Español), Mandarin (普通话), and more, email COHELP@RMPDC.org. Para información sobre COVID19 en Español haga clic aquí (Proporcionado por Denver Health).

 

In addition to what is listed above, please follow the State of Colorado’s webpage that posts current updates, along with a list of resources.

Again, I will continue to frequently update my Facebook and Twitter with important information, and let you know of any important developments.