At the Women’s Resource Center, our utmost concern is the health and safety of our staff, volunteers, clients and community. News about Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) increases daily. It is important to respond to our community’s needs, especially as those needs evolve or change during this time. Below we have provided a list of local resources that may be able to help.
The WRC Resource Report – a weekly report that highlights local and national resources during this time.
WRC Remote Programs & Services are available! More information here.
RECEIVE RESOURCES IN YOUR INBOX!
What type of resources are you looking for today?
News & Emergency Resources
- Current Travel Advisories
- Florida Department of Health COVID-19 Toolkit
- MCR Health Coronavirus resource page
- Services & Resources for Veterans
- Florida Department of Health COVID-19 Page
- Domestic Violence Support & Resources
- Manatee County Birth Certificate and I.D. Program
- Manatee County Free Helpline for evictions and foreclosures – are you confused about the rules regarding evictions and foreclosures during COVID-19? Gulfcoast Legal Services is offering a free helpline to assist you with evictions, foreclosure, and credit reporting errors. Call 941-746-6151 for more info.
- Centerstone Mobile Crisis Intervention Service – provides timely and effective individual and family mental health intervention to anyone who is in crisis in Manatee and Desoto Counties.
- Eviction Assistance – help with eviction or legal advice, please contact Linda Harradine at Manasota Legal Aid, 941-366-0038 or LindaH@legalaidofmanasota.org
Health Resources
- Manatee County COVID-19 Testing Information
- Sarasota County COVID-19 Testing Information
- Sarasota Memorial Community Specialty Clinic – Sarasota Memorial’s Community Specialty Clinic (CSC) provides specialty medical care and referral services to Sarasota County residents who are uninsured or underinsured, who demonstrate a true financial need, and who are age 18 or older.
- Health coverage options if you’re unemployed
- Free and income-based clinics in the state of Florida – online directory of free and affordable health clinics.
- Monoclonal Antibody Therapy Treatments – where they are available, and eligibility requirements.
- Sheltering for COVID clients during the isolation period/ For Manatee County Residents – Gabriela Vasquez, Non-Congregate Sheltering (NCS) Coordinator. She can be reached gabriela.vasquez@flhealth.gov or please (941) 661-0602.
Helpful Hotlines
United Way FREE Hotline | 2-1-1
2-1-1 is a FREE service provided by United Way that connects area residents to critical health and social service resources when they need help. From help with a household bill, food assistance, or counseling for suicide prevention, calling United Way’s 2-1-1 helpline is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year-round. Instead of searching the phone book or internet when faced with a crisis, think of 2-1-1 as your first call for help.
People can reach 2-1-1:
- By phone – Dial 211
- By Email – uw211help@gmail.com
- By Online Chat
- By Text – Text zip code to 898-211
Learn how 2-1-1 it works, check out these videos:
Season of Sharing Fund
Season of Sharing helps individuals and families on the verge of homelessness who reside in Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte and DeSoto counties. The funds may be used for rental assistance, utility bills, child care, transportation, food vouchers and other expenses associated with helping families get back on their feet.
Individuals seeking funds, must meet with a caseworker through a social service agency to apply for the funds.
Not sure which agency matches your needs? United Way 2-1-1 assists potential clients in finding an appropriate agency.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org
- National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-7233
- SPARCC -Safe Place and Rape Crisis Center (Sarasota) Hotline (941) 365-1976
- HOPE Family Services Hotline (Bradenton) Hotline: (941) 755-6805
- CareLine – 24/7 hotline to help deal with stress & anxiety during these challenging times.
- Suncoast Behavior Health offers mental health services for children and adolescents in crisis – no-cost assessments 24/7. Call (941)951-5000 to schedule your appointment.
- Tidewell Teams Support Community – Hope Line. Social workers, chaplains, and grief counselors are joining forces to help meet the emotional-health needs of our communities through this 24/7 service.
- FREE Bilingual Emotional Support Helpline – 833-8481762 specially trained behavioral health counselors available 24-hours a day to help with stress, anxiety, trauma, and health crisis.
Financial Resources:
- LIHEAP: Need help with your utility bills? LIHEAP can help! Get in touch and get help from LIHEAP today by going to their website, LIHEAP Program.
- Emergency Rental Assistance Searchable Database – find available financial assistance for renters who are having trouble paying rent, utilities or other housing costs. Local and Statewide assistance available.
- Advance Child Tax Credit Payments 2021 – for the tax year 2021, eligible families can receive payments of the Child Tax Credit from July through December.
- OUR Florida: Florida’s federally-funded emergency rental assistance relief program to support residents and businesses as they continue to recover and rebuild. OUR Florida is currently accepting applications for rental and utility assistance. Click here to find out more information, OUR Florida Program.
- Bank On Suncoast: A certified checking account that is safe and affordable, featuring no overdraft fees and bill pay functions. These certified accounts come with debit cards, a free bill pay function, or four free insured money orders each month. Click here to find out more information, Bank On Suncoast.
- The IRS has established a special section focused on steps to help taxpayers, businesses and others affected by the coronavirus.
- HHS COVID Fraud Alerts
- Affordable Ask an Attorney program – a 30-minute legal consultation on family law topics such as divorce, child support, child custody, and much more.
- Everyone On – has information about low-cost internet and affordable computers in the area
- Low Interest Crisis Relief Personal Loans from Capital Good Fund
- National Disability Institute (NDI) recently launched the Financial Resilience Center, an online information hub to help people with disabilities and chronic health conditions respond to the financial challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- VITA – Volunteer Income Tax Assistance with United Way Suncoast. Also includes help attaining a stimulus check if you have not yet received.
- Benevolence Assistance – Palma Sola Presbyterian Church administers two funds that enable it to help you meet emergency financial needs.
- SOAR offers Supplemental Security Income (SSI) for Children – stabilizing income for children in your system who are experiencing or at-risk of homelessness. And helps with enhanced health insurance coverage (Medicaid).
Food Service Sites
- Access – To apply for food assistance (SNAP), cash assistance (TANF) or Medicaid.
- All Faiths Food Bank: (serving DeSoto and Sarasota) Provides access to food pantries, the DeSoto Food and Resource Center and more through the Food Finder section of their website.
- Feeding Tampa Bay (serving Hillsborough, Manatee, Pinellas): Provides access to mobile food pantries, mobile markets, a community market and more through the Find Food section of their website.
- Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee – Food 4 Families Locations.
- Friendship Centers is offering home-delivered meals for adults 60 or over in Sarasota, DeSoto, Charlotte and Lee counties during the coronavirus pandemic.
- Partners for Pets – Senior Friendship Centers, in partnership with Vintage Paws Sanctuary’s “Partners for Pets” program, is providing deliveries of pet food and other pet-related necessities to pet owners in our community.
- Temporary Pet Food Assistance – Manatee County
Employment Resources
For Job-Seekers
- Free Remote Career Advising – Our Career Advising program offers individual assistance in preparing for a successful job search. Includes resume preparation, interviewing skills, networking techniques, available local job list and more!
- CareerSource Employment Services: Please call (941) 358-4200 to speak with a Career Coach and discuss your options for virtual job search, workshops and career coaching.
- Job Search: employflorida.com
- Reemployment Assistance Programs
- Florida Unemployment Guide
- Training Opportunities – Training, services, and scholarships beyond CareerSource Suncoast’s career services are available if you are eligible through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).
- Ticket to Work Program – a free and voluntary self-sufficiency program that increases employment opportunities and choices for Social Security disability beneficiaries. If you are an adult and receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits and/or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), you qualify for the Ticket to Work program.
Helpful Job Searching Tools
- JobFocus.com has job openings in the Manatee-Sarasota area to help residents who are no longer employed find work.
- Who is hiring in Sarasota?
- Who is hiring in Bradenton?
- Who is hiring in Venice?
- Employment Opportunities in Longboat Key
- Who is hiring for Remote Work
Your Chamber Resources:
For Parents & Families
Educational Resources
- Voter Education Workshop: Learn about Voter Registration and Elections in Sarasota County
- PBS Kids for Parents – Tips and activities to help children grow
- Scholastic Learn at Home – Learning experiences for PreK-12
- Manatee County Library – You can now register online for temporary library cards that give full access to electronic resources!
- Manatee County Library access to FREE tutoring via Tutor.com
- COVID-19 Map: Tracking Substance Usage During Coronavirus – Use this resource to see how adults responded about their past-month use of drugs and alcohol to better understand how COVID is currently affecting substance use and mental health.
- Alzheimer Support for Families
- DIY Face Coverings
Talking to Kids About COVID-19
- PBS Kids guide for talking to younger kids about the coronavirus
- PBS Kids guide for talking to younger kids about tragic or scary events in the news
- National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) guide for talking to kids about COVID-19
- NPR guide for talking to kids about scary events in the news
- Morningside Center guide for talking to students about the coronavirus
- Morningside Center guide for addressing bias and bullying in response to the novel coronavirus
- Ways to Promote Children’s Resilience to the COVID-19 Pandemic
Family Safety Guidelines and Resources
- Map of school closings related to the coronavirus
- COVID-19 information and resources for schools and school personnel from US Department of Education
- Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) advice for the public: Healthy Parenting
- Forty Carrots Family Center – Virtual Services
- Reporting Child Abuse during COVID-19 for Educators – Florida Department of Education Resources
- School Readiness Program – do you need FREE or reduced cost childcare? Apply online today. Flyer in Spanish.
Resources for Children
- Macaroni Kid – a local resource with a weekly newsletter with great suggestions on “what to do with your children during this time.”
- The Latest Resources for Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&Rs) Agencies and Providers
- Childcare Resource & Referral Services – a service to connect employees to childcare during COVID-19
- READS reading resources
- Sesame Street has just teamed up with Headspace, to create Monster Meditations on the Sesame Street YouTube channel
- Florida Studio Theatre – offering summer camps through August 7th. Enrollment open and scholarships are available.
- Nobody’s Perfect-Parenting in a World of Change – by Marlene Resnick Simons
Self Care Resources
- 30 Day Free Online Yoga
- Three Strategies to Manage Eating During Stay-at-Home
- Affordable Remote Mental Health Counseling – First appointment is free! Mental Health is big part of your overall wellness. The outbreak of COVID-19 may be stressful for people and fear and anxiety can become overwhelming. WRC understands, and is here to help.
- Headspace Mindfulness App
- 3 Steps To Stay Healthy During the Pandemic
- Something to Think About – finding gratitude during COVID-19
- ANCHORING HEART Technique: a self-help resource produced by OPUS PEACE
- Tidewell Grief Education and Support Center. (En Espanol)
- 5 natural ways to boost your mental health during stressful times
- Meditation Workshop – free and confidential online workshop for survivors of abuse and professionals that witness trauma in the workplace. To sign up, call (941)343-0039
- FREE Bilingual Emotional Support Helpline – 833-8481762 specially trained behavioral health counselors available 24-hours a day to help with stress, anxiety, trauma and health crisis.
- Self-Care for Healthcare Heroes – 14 ways to help our healthcare heroes take care of themselves by Suncoast Behavioral Health Center.
- UCLA Guided Meditations – UCLA has free guided meditations in English and Spanish. Meditations range from 3 minutes to 14 minutes.