DC Faith Community Resources - Coronavirus
Resources and information (below) have been complied to assist faith communities. This webpage has specific resources and information for Washington, DC.
- Stay calm and take time to care for yourself and others
- Follow CDC guidelines and your local authorities' health and safety directions
- Develop or update regularly your faith community's emergency and communication plan.
- Prepare and equip your faith community. Start or continue building your faith community's health ministry, Wesley offers an online health minister certificate. Summer Certificate enrolling now. Full and partial scholarships are available.
- Information has been changing quickly so please double check links and resources
- If you have a resource you would like us to list or a link which needs to be corrected, please contact Tom Pruski @ tpruski@wesleyseminary.edu.
----Click on the links of the various resources below to open them-----
COVID-19 Washington, DC Community Resource Guide (up-to-date weekly health information)
- A living Google document compiled by medical students at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Services. Click here for Mobile Version of the Google document and resource
- DC Phase Two Guidance - Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) Guidance for Places of Worship (October 10, 2020) pdf
District Resources for the Community
- DC Health’s Coronavirus homepage: https://dchealth.dc.gov/coronavirus, provides news, surveillance data, and resources for both providers and community members, including a guide to District closures by agency including modified schedules, sources for food assistance, and recovery guides for individuals and small businesses.
- Breakdown of emergency legislation for public consumption from DC Jobs with Justice
- “DC Mutual Aid Network” group on Facebook is a good place to share information
- DC Health Matters Connect
- Empower DC Community Resource Guide
- GW Rodham Institute’s resource guide for DMV residents from food, to mental health, to school.
- DC Council Elissa Silverman: D.C. Unemployment Insurance (UI) Basics for COVID-19 Emergency
- DC Government: Video on applying for unemployment
- DC Office of the Attorney General: Coronavirus Consumer Alerts
- DCist: How To Get Unemployment And Other Benefits In D.C., Virginia, And Maryland
- Legal Aid DC: Non-legal Resource Guide
- Unite Here! Local 25 Resources: Coronavirus and Unemployment Resources by State (DC, MD, VA)
- Washington Interfaith Network: Accessing food and plugging in to volunteer
Patient-Facing Resources
- District Triage Line (202-576-1117): If patients are experiencing symptoms, they are recommended to call their physician. Additionally, patients can call the Triage Line to have their symptoms assessed.
- DC Health has created a variety of patient resources, with the list expanding weekly.
- CDC Know the Facts and Stop the Spread of Rumors and Handwashing Flyers
Vulnerable Populations
- Public Notice: Public Charge Rule FAQs with COVID-19 Information – Please share this with fellow advocates for the immigrant community. DHCF updated FAQ Public Charge Rule FAQ and is in the process of having this FAQ translated into other languages.
- District Guidance for providers serving individuals experiencing homelessness– During this COVID-19 pandemic, it is imperative that hospitals and health clinics ascertain housing status of any individual being tested for COVID-19. This will ensure
- 1) appropriate care that supports their needs during their time at the hospital/clinic,
- 2) appropriate support at discharge, and
- 3) prevention of possible exposure of COVID-19 to shelter staff and residents by appropriately discharging this individual to a safe quarantine site instead of a congregate shelter setting.
- Also, note a drafted client-facing letter that healthcare providers may want to use to explain next steps after a COVID test, specifically transportation to a DHS isolation site.
- Update of Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) services and other services still operating -https://coronavirus.dc.gov/page/stay-home#agencies
Funding
- https://www.thecommunityfoundation.org/covid-19-rfp
- A local opportunity coming out of DC Council for some support for impacted businesses: Applications are live: https://coronavirus.dc.gov/dc-small-business-recovery-grants. Application closes at 11:59pm on Tuesday, March 31s
- Kaiser opportunity for those providing health care to the homeless: https://nhchc.org/press/press-releases/immediate-impact-grants-for-organizations-serving-people-without-homes-in-the-covid-19-pandemic/
- DC businesses can apply for current SBA disaster assistance: https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/disaster-assistance. You can prepare to apply by reviewing the “Three Step Process” of SBA Disaster Loans to understand what to expect in the application process.
HR Resources
- March 20 Presentation “COVID-19: What Employers Need to Know” by Morris, Manning, & Martin, LLP. This covers recent paid leave legislation and tax credits; reductions, furloughs, and layoffs; wage and hour issues; and employee benefits issues.
- OSSE Memo on District Child Care Services for Health Care Workers. As part of the District of Columbia Government’s response to coronavirus (COVID-19), the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) is partnering with licensed child care providers to offer care for the children of DC’s health care workers.
Source: DCPCA (DC Primary Care Association) COVID-19 Newsletter (3/27/2020).
If you would like more information about the information posted here, please contact Tom Pruski at the Heal the Sick program by emailing us at tpruski@wesleyseminary.edu or calling 202-706-6843.
