Girls Write Now Life Resources

Below are a number of services, sorted by category, which Girls Write Now has compiled to help our community during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation and beyond. This list is regularly updated as we learn of more resources and companies enacting Coronavirus-specific policies.*

*Girls Write Now is in the process of vetting these resources but in the meantime, they will remain on our page so that others can still access them.

Coronavirus Hotline for New York State: 1-888-364-3065

COVID-19 Testing is available at CityMD. They currently have two forms of testing available: the nasal swab test to determine if you are actively infected with COVID-19 and the antibody test to determine if you were exposed to COVID-19 in the past and developed an antibody for the virus.

Black Lives Matter Resources:

Document created by and for NYC youth with many Black Lives Matter Resources.
Therapy for Black Girls Podcast is a weekly chat about all things mental health, personal development, and all the small decisions we can make to become the best possible versions of ourselves.
Therapy for Black Girls Providers: Find therapists specifically for Black girls in your area.
Black Girls Smile Resources: A list of mental health organizations and resources for Black girls.
Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation: Currently providing free virtual therapy.
Instagram accounts to follow: @thenapministry @healingwhileblack @selfcareisforeveryone @ethelsclub @inclusivetherapists @diveinwell @sistaafya @healhaus

CDC Guides:

Food Accessibility:

NYC Grab-and-Go Meals: ALL New Yorkers can get three free Grab-and-Go meals daily at the entrance of 400 Meal Hubs through the city. Meals Hubs will operate for children and families from 7:30 am to 11:30 am, and for adults from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm, Mondays through Fridays. Any New Yorker can pick up meals at any of the 400 locations as of April 3rd and until further notice. Vegetarian and halal options available at all sites. No registration, ID, or documentation required. Text “FOOD” or “COMIDA” to 877-877 or use the DOE search tool to find a Meal Hub near you.
Food Benefit Cards: The Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) program will provide eligible households with a total of about $420 per child currently enrolled in school. Families will not need to apply for the program. Households enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), receiving Temporary Assistance benefits or Medicaid will automatically receive the additional assistance through their existing EBT cards if they have children attending public schools.
Food Bank for NYC: Find food pantries and soup kitchens near you.
World Central Kitchen: WCK will distribute fresh, individually packaged grab-and-go meals to local families during lunchtime at pick-up locations at various locations in NYC, Newark, and Elizabeth.
Invisible Hands: Volunteer-run initiative offering free delivery of groceries (as well as prescriptions, and other general errands) for elderly, immunocompromised, or otherwise at-risk individuals.
(For summer) NYCDOE Summer Meals: The NYCDOE offers free meals to children 18-years-old and under during the summer. The 2020 Free Summer Meals program begins Saturday, June 27th, the day after school ends. No registration, documentation, or ID is required to receive a free breakfast or lunch meal.
Imperfect Foods: Low-cost online food retailer that delivers fresh produce and other groceries to your home.

Internet Accessibility:

NYCDOE Technology Support: NYCDOE will provide technology and materials necessary for remote learning for students who need it. If you would like to request a device for a NYC student in your family, please fill out this form. The DOE will use the contact information you provide to get in touch with you to discuss when and where you can pick up a device. Priority will be given to students most in need, and all devices are granted on a temporary basis and will later need to be returned. There is a limit of one device per student. If you need help with this, please contact your Guidance Counselor.
Altice: Free broadband internet access for 60 days to households with K-12 and/or college students.
Comcast Internet Essentials: Affordable in-home Wi-Fi for low-income households. New customers will receive two months of free service.
Charter Communications/ Spectrum: Free broadband and Wi-Fi access for 60 days to households with K-12 and/or college students who don’t already have a Spectrum broadband subscription.
Spectrum Internet Assist: High-speed broadband internet for low-income households.
AT&T: Waived data overage fees for all customers so you can stay connected during the COVID-19 pandemic. They will also continue to offer internet access for qualifying limited income households at $10 a month through the Access from AT&T program.
More information

Mental Health & Wellness:

7 Cups: Online emotional support service where you can anonymously chat with trained volunteer listeners for free.
Headspace: In partnership with Governor Cuomo, Headspace is offering free access to a special NY collection of meditation, sleep, and movement exercises are here to support New Yorkers through stressful and challenging times.
Insight Timer Guided Meditations: Insight Timer offers 30,000 free audio guided meditations.
NYC Well: NYC Well is a connection to free, confidential mental health support. Speak to a counselor via phone, text, or chat and get access to mental health and substance use services, in more than 200 languages, 24/7.
Phone: 1-888-692-9355
Text: Text “WELL” to 65173
NYC Well Mental Health Tips: NYC Well’s 10 tips to staying mentally healthy.
NYC Well Stress-Relief Steps: NYC Well’s 9 ways to have less stress in under a minute.
Shine: The Shine app offers daily mental health support, a new self-care strategy everyday, and a global community to help you feel less alone.
Yale ‘Happiness’ Course: Yale University’s hugely popular ‘happiness’ course (The Science of Well-Being) is available for free on Coursera.
GWN Teen Health Resources: Other mental health and wellness resources we’ve compiled for teens that list specific resources for LGBTQ+ youth, substance abuse, sexual health, etc.

Educational Support:

Girls Who Code (At Home): Girls Who Code is offering free CS educational activities, available to download on their site. Every week, they will release new activities of varying levels of difficulty.
Brainfuse: Brainfuse offers a bank of videos, activities, a writing lab, and other resources that are available to students 24/7. These services are accessible with your library card. New York residents can apply for a library card through the SimplyE app.
Brooklyn Public Library’s Learning Express Library 3.0: Practice tests and other study materials for the GED/HSE/TASC, HiSET, TASC, SAT, elementary school and middle school standardized tests, civil service, technical, and other professional exams.
Khan Academy: Khan Academy is a nonprofit organization that offers free online educational support and webinars in a number of subjects, at all grade levels.
Ivy League Courses: Ivy League schools are currently offering 450 free courses in a number of subjects.
NYCDOE Learn-At-Home Guides: The NYCDOE offers worksheets with activities to do at home in a variety of subjects.
NYCDOE Special Education Services: If your child has an IEP, you should be hearing from their teacher about developing a specific remote learning plan. If your child currently receives related services, DOE is planning to begin delivering these services via tele-therapy sessions or video conferencing. Families will be contacted by related service providers to discuss the transition and to begin scheduling sessions. If you have any questions, contact the DOE Special Education Office at specialeducation@schools.nyc.gov.
NYC Regional Enrichment Centers: Health care workers, NYPD, FDNY, MTA, and other essential workers can enroll their children in a Regional Enrichment Center. There are 93 sites across the city to support learning for children of essential workers and first responders. These sites will be open from 7:30 am – 6:00 pm and will serve children ages 3-18. Children will receive three hot meals each day and will be able to access remote learning opportunities from their school as well as daily activities.
New York Public Library Connect: Although New York Public Libraries are closed for the time being due to the COVID-19 pandemic, NYPL Connect offers a number of online services accessible with your library card, including e-books, e-journals, and their digital history archives. New York residents can apply for a library card through the SimplyE app.
NYPL College Counseling & College Prep: The New York Public Library offers a number of college prep resources and programs, including one-on-one sessions (30 minutes to an hour) with a College and Career Pathways librarian to get individual postsecondary readiness assistance online.
NYPL Tutoring Services: The NYPL is offering online tutoring to provide families with homework help, enrichment activities, and remote learning support through Brainfuse. Students in grades K–12 can access free, remote, one-on-one tutoring in a wide range of subjects and levels. Tutoring is offered in both English and Spanish, seven days a week from 2 PM to 11 PM via chat. These services are accessible with your library card. New York residents can apply for a library card through the SimplyE app.
TechConnect Virtual Classes: TechConnect now offers free online trainings to improve your digital literacy skills right from home. This pilot program will be taught by their expert staff. Be sure to register in advance, as class sizes are limited.
W3Schools: W3Schools is an educational website specific to coding. They offer free tutorials, references, and exercises to learn a variety of coding languages.

Finance:

Coronavirus Financial Impact Loan: The Hebrew Free Loan Society has created a Coronavirus Financial Impact Loan Program which provides interest-free loans of $2,000-$5,000 to residents of New York City’s five boroughs, Westchester, or Long Island who are facing financial challenges caused by the Coronavirus outbreak (you don’t have to be Jewish to receive this loan).
NYC Small Business Services: The City will provide relief for small businesses across the City seeing a reduction in revenue because of COVID-19 through loans and grants.
Poets & Writers COVID-19 Relief Fund: Poets & Writers’ Board of Directors established the Poets & Writers COVID-19 Relief Fund to provide emergency assistance to writers having difficulty meeting their basic needs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They’ve announced a second round of funding, in which they expect to be able to distribute grants of $1,000 to approximately thirty writers. Application deadline is June 28th!
WomenArts Emergency Funds: WomenArts compiled a list of emergency funds to help artists across all disciplines find organizations where they can apply for funding.

Transportation:

Fair Fares NYC: Low-income New Yorkers can get a 50-percent discount on public transportation.

Recreation:

GWN Recreational Resources: Fun resources for you to use on your downtime, from Girls Write Now’s Recommended Reading List to yoga videos and more!