May 2020 Community Board

The Plain Press Community Board is a listing of a variety of free activities and resources for neighborhoods served by the Plain Press. The cost of printing the Community Board is sponsored by Organize! Ohio through donations from readers and supporters.

ADVOCACY

KEEP COVID-19 OUT OF OHIO JAILS, PRISONS AND COURTS: Visit the Ohio Immigrant Alliance website at www.ohioimmigrant.org for a link to a petition.

ARTS

CUYAHOGA ARTS AND CULTURE now has applications for 2021 project support grants. It is also offering extensions for 2020 grants impacted by the COVID1-19 pandemic. For more information visit www.cacgrants.org.

VIRTUAL PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBIT HONORING OHIO’S WOMEN VETERANS, I Am Not Invisible: Visit OhioVets.gov to read the stories behind their journeys during and after military service.

BENEFITS

HOW TO APPLY FOR PUBLIC BENEFITS:  Visit www.benefits.ohio.gov to apply for food, medical, cash, and childcare assistance. Available 24 hours, 7 days a week.  Or call the Eligibility Contact Center at 1-844-640-OHIO (6446) for real-time eligibility and case changes for food, cash and medical assistance. Available Monday – Friday 8:00a.m. to 4:00p.m.

MEDICAID: Medicaid patients can use telehealth services even for first time visits. REDETERMINATIONS ARE SUSPENDED FOR 180 DAYS. Medicaid Benefits will not be lost if the renewal process is not able to be completed.

SNAP AND OHIO WORKS FIRST: REDETERMINATIONS ARE SUSPENDED FOR SIX MONTHS. Meaning if benefits were supposed to expire in March they now expire in September, April they now expire in October, and for May they will expire in November. FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL: 216-987-7000 OR VISIT THE COUNTY WEBSITE AT:  cjfs.cuyahogacounty.us/

INTERVIEW ABOUT YOUR BENEFITS: Northern Ohioans for Budget Legislation Equality wants to hear about your experiences applying for or renewing your benefits like food stamps or Medicaid. To get information to improve the system, they are doing short interviews with people on benefits. If you can do a brief interview, contact Jacie at jacie@organizeohio.org or call (216) 651-2606.

BUSINESS & LABOR

EMPLOYEES ONLY: offers assistance to laid off restaurant employees. To ask for assistance send an email to Mark Bailey at mark@employeesonlyneo.org or visit Employees Only on Instagram.

CUYAHOGA COUNTY SMALL BUSINESS RESOURCE CENTER offers technical assistance and information about financial resources for struggling small businesses. Call 216-452-9741, Monday thru Friday 8 a.m. -5 p.m. Assistance in applying for Small Business Administration Economic Injury Disaster Loans and other available financial assistance; consulting, help navigating unemployment insurance benefit applications, strategies for retaining and retraining employees. You can also access the resources online at www.cuyahogacounty.us.

OHIO UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS: Visit unemployment.ohio.gov (available 24 hours a day) or try calling 877-644-6562 or TTY -614-387-8408 – Monday thru Friday 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. or Saturdays 9 a.m. -5 p.m. or Sundays 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

THE CUYAHOGA COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH CALL CENTER is available for residents to report concerns regarding non-essential businesses and for essential businesses to inquire about maintaining social distancing practices. If you feel that your place of business is improperly remaining open, or if you wish to file a complaint about what you think are unsafe practices at a place of business please contact the CCBH by phone at 216-201-2000 between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION continues to enforce the nations’ employment non-discrimination laws. To begin the process of filing a charge of discrimination, employees and applicants are encouraged to visit the EEOC Public Portal at publicportal.eeoc.gov to schedule an intake appointment by telephone. The system can also be accessed by going directly to our website at www.eeoc.gov.  Anyone who cannot use the portal can call the EEOC at 1-800-669-4000 to begin the process of filing a charge.

SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION programs for the coronavirus, visit www.sba.gov/coronavirus and for information on all federal programs, visit www.usa.gov/coronavirus.

CHURCHES

CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF CLEVELAND: offers daily mass livestreamed at 9:30 a.m. or on demand at other times at dioceseofcleveland.org

CITY SERVICES

BULK PICKUP: City of Cleveland has cancelled all bulk garbage pick-up for the month of May.

CLEVELAND WATER DEPARTMENT: In March, Mayor Frank Jackson announced Cleveland Water will suspend disconnections until further notice. Cleveland Water customers who have recently experienced disconnection should contact Cleveland Water at 216-664-3130 to discuss options for the restoration of service. As of April 24, Cleveland Water has restored service for 1,011 customers.

CLEVELAND PUBLIC POWER (CPP): In March, Mayor Frank Jackson announced Cleveland Public Power will suspend disconnections until further notice. CPP customers who have recently experienced disconnection should call 216-664-4600 to discuss options for the restoration of service.  As of April 24, CPP has restored service for 85 customers.

ONLINE POLICE REPORT FILING: In an effort to keep officers safe and minimize exposure to the public, the Cleveland Division of Police has taken measures to ensure that members of the public can file police reports remotely for minor offenses. Minor offenses include property damage, petty theft, lost property, theft from vehicle, theft of credit card, stolen vehicle (when suspect is not on scene and no one was injured or threatened), telephone harassment. In any cases where a crime of violence was committed or there is a current threat, please call 9-1-1. File online: https://secure.coplogic.com/dors/startreport/176231500. Report via phone daily from 7:30 a.m. – 10 p.m. 216-621-1234 Members of the public are remined to adhere to CDC guidelines on social distancing if they choose to visit a police district building in person.

COMMUNITY

CUDELL IMPROVEMENT AND DETROIT SHOREWAY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION offer a list of resources at cudell.com/coronavirus or www.dscdo.org. The list includes free meals and free food banks and distributions in the Detroit Shoreway, Cudell and Edgewater neighborhoods. The organizations have also created a list of businesses selling take-out food. The list is available at www.dscdo.org/food.

METROWEST offers a list of resources for residents of the Brooklyn Centre, Clark Fulton and Stockyard neighborhoods on its website at www.metrowestcle.org.

OHIO CITY INCORPORATED lists local resources, information and delivery food options in the Ohio City neighborhood at www.ohiocity.org/covid19.

WESTOWN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION offers a list of resources for the Westown neighborhood on its website at: www.westowncdc.org.

OHIO CITY INCORPORATED (OCI) announced it has postponed both its annual meeting and election. A date has not been determined for the annual meeting. The organization has placed the slate of candidates and their applications on its website (ohiocity.org) along with its 2019 annual report. OCI has moved its office to 3808 Lorain Avenue.

CLEVELAND PANDEMIC RESPONSE – COVID19 COMMUNITY HUB, at Cleveland.recovers.org, offers assistance to individuals and families with a need by linking you to goods and services that you need. The site also connects those who want to donate supplies to those that need them. Volunteers can also use the site to connect with organizations that need them.

CONNECTED IN CLE: offers a comprehensive list of local resources and help for COVID-19, link via freshwatercleveland.com

PLAIN PRESS COMMUNITY BOARD: To list free events and services in the Plain Press Community Board – send information you would like printed to: plainpress@gmail.com.

CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) RESOURCES

CLEVELAND DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH has a new online dashboard for tracking coronavirus cases in the City of Cleveland. Visit clevelandhealth.org to check it out. As of April 24, there are 23 COVID-19 City resident fatalities and 556 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the City of Cleveland.

CUYAHOGA COUNTY DATA: Cuyahoga County Epi-curve data and the number of lab-confirmed cases of Coronavirus COVID-19 in each Cuyahoga County zip code will be presented each Friday by the Cuyahoga County Board of Health.  Presenting epi-curve and confirmed cases by zip code each Friday will allow the Board of Health to demonstrate the evolution of case counts over time. The daily case overview for Cuyahoga County is available at ccbh.net/coronavirus.

CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION website at www.cdc.gov offers information on the coronavirus (COVID-19): how to protect yourself, what to do if you think you are sick, resources for the community, information on the incidence of infections throughout the United States and information for healthcare professionals.

OHIO DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH updates its website regularly with helpful information and regular updates on COVID-19 in Ohio visit: www.coronavirus.ohio.gov. If the web doesn’t work for you, the State has a call center to answer all of your COVID-19 questions. Call1-833-4-ASKODH,  or 1-833-427-5634 any day of the week between the hours of 9 a.m. – 8 p.m.

CUYAHOGA COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH’S website, https://www.ccbh.net/., offers regular updates on COVID-19 and other useful information. To call the Cuyahoga County Board of Health please use the general number 216-201-2000.

CUYAHOGA COUNTY CORONAVIRUS HELP LINE: 855-711-3035.

CUYAHOGA COUNTY has launched a new multilingual website in partnership with Global Cleveland and MetroHealth centered around enhancing accessibility to information and resources related to the coronavirus pandemic in both Cuyahoga County and the U.S. The site provides resources in five languages: Arabic, Chinese, Nepali, Russian and Spanish. These languages were selected based on the diverse populations in Cuyahoga County. Various resources are available to residents whose first language is not English. Each language has a MetroHealth hotline for residents to speak with a representative in their primary language. The site also contains a variety of fact sheets in Arabic, Chinese and Spanish centered around facts about COVID-19, what to do if you’re sick, how to help stop the spread of germs, and symptoms of coronavirus. Video resources on the site include how to enable subtitles on YouTube videos, footage from the thrice-weekly Cuyahoga County Board of Health Media Briefings and Governor DeWine’s daily press conferences.  The multilingual site can be found on the Cuyahoga County website at cuyahogacounty.us. It will be updated with new resources as they become available.

METROHEALTH 24/7 COVID-19 HOTLINE: 440-59-COVID or 440-592-6843

CONSUMER

PARATRANSIT SURVEY: Northern Ohioans for Budget Legislation Equality (NOBLE) is conducting a survey regarding Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) paratransit rider experiences in an effort to improve paratransit services.  If you or someone that you know utilizes paratransit and would be open to hearing more about and or taking the survey please contact our organizer, Brittney Madison at BMadison@organizeohio.org or 330-571-3333.

REPORT SCAMS: Call the Cuyahoga County Scam Squad at 216-443-SCAM (7226). Hang up if a caller threatens you with arrest or property seizure, claims to be a grandchild or loved one in trouble with the law; asks you to wire money, mail cash or pay with gift cards; if a repair person calls out of the blue and wants to “fix” your computer.

DOES YOUR HOME HAVE A SMOKE ALARM? If not, call the operation Save-A-Life 24-hour hotline at 216-361-5535 to apply for FREE smoke alarms.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND CHILD ADVOCACY CENTER 24 Hour Helpline: call or text 216-391-HELP (4357) or live chat online at DVCAC.org/get-help.

DONATIONS

CUYAHOGA COUNTY is encouraging medical practices such as veterinary clinics, dentists, elective surgery centers, and other non-essential medical providers to donate surplus Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to support first responders and critical operations occurring in response to the COVID-19 Pandemic. A collection point has been established at the Cuyahoga County Public Works Garage located at 2501 Harvard Ave. Newburgh Heights, OH 44105. The hours of operation for the collection point will be Monday-Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Unopened boxes of the following items will be accepted: N95 masks, Surgical masks, Gowns, Eye protection, Face shields, Nitrile gloves, Disinfecting wipes, and Hand sanitizer.  For additional information or questions, please email: resl@cuyahogacounty.us.

ALUMINUM CANS FOR BURNED CHILDREN (ACBC): Instead of throwing aluminum cans out or placing them on your curb, collect them and take them to your local fire station. This will help benefit a pediatric burn survivor or prevent a child from a burn injury. For more information about ACBC call 216-883-6633 or visit www.acbcohio.org.

EDUCATION

AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS (AFT) and the AFL-CIO are offering free helpful lessons and tools for kids in pre-K through 12th grade who are now learning at home and coping with the COVID-19 pandemic. (these resources are intended to supplement what your child’s teacher or school has already provided.) You can go to sharemylesson.com/coronavirus/parents to access lessons, online tools, resources and more.

INTERNET HOTSPOTS: Cleveland Public Libraries are all internet hotspots. To access go to their parking lot or sit just outside the building.

SCHOOL CLOSURES: Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced school buildings will be closed for the remainder of this school year.

CLEVELAND METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT: Visit the website for educational resources and updates at https://www.clevelandmetroschools.org/Coronavirus

CHARTER OFFERS FREE SPECTRUM INTERNET ASSIST AND SPECTRUM BROADBAND including in-home Wi-Fi to new subscriber households with K-12 and or college students as well as teachers for 60 days. Free self-installation kits will be offered to new subscriber households. To enroll call 1-844-488-8395.

CHARTER has opened WiFi hotspots across their footprint for public use. A map of the Charter hotspots is available at: http://www.spectrum.com/wifi-hotspots.

CLEVELAND METROPARKS OFFERS FREE VIRTUAL CLASSROOM ON FACEBOOK LIVE: Mondays through Fridays at 11 a.m. visit Cleveland Metroparks Zoo’s Facebook Page to join our biologists who are working to secure a future for wildlife at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. Check-in with your favorite Zoo animals and learn about what it takes to care for some of the most endangered species in the world. Then, at 1 p.m., visit Cleveland Metroparks Facebook Page to join our park naturalists as we explore the Emerald Necklace and look for early signs of spring, learn about the forest floor, birds and more.

OHIO PUBLIC TELEVISION STATIONS are now offering Pre-K to 12 education programing on TV or online at pbslearningmedia.com. For more information visit coronavirus.ohio.gov/learnathome.

CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY offers programming and educational materials in its new digital series “CMNH@HOME”. The programs are available at cmnh.org or facebook.com/goCMNH/ New episodes will be available on Mondays (Museum Mondays), Wednesdays (Wildlife Wednesdays) and Saturdays (Scientist Saturdays) at noon.

FOOD

5530. AUGUSTINE CHURCH HUNGER CENTER offers home delivery of meals to those in need. To sign up call 216-781-5530.

MAY DUGAN CENTER, 4115 Bridge Ave., will host drive through food distribution on the fourth Wednesday of the month from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

FIRST CALL FOR HELP: For days, times and locations for free food distribution call 211.

GREATER CLEVELAND FOOD BANK: Call 216-738-7239, or visit GreaterClevelandFoodBank.org for food assistance. Apply for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) if you are under sixty (limits are higher for persons age 60 or older or persons receiving disability assistance) and your monthly family income is $1,316 or less for a one-person household; $1,784 or less for a two person household; $2,252 or less for a three person household; $2,720 or less for a four person household. Add $453 for each additional household member.   For information about Food Stamps (SNAP) applications, food pantries, free produce, and hot meals text FOOD to 63566.

HEALTH

VIRTUAL SUPPORT AND RECOVERY groups are available and listed on the ADAMHS Board website homepage at: adamhscc.org.

MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES AND HOTLINES: The Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) Board of Cuyahoga County mental health resources and hotlines: To reach Cuyahoga County’s 24-Hour Warmline, call 440-886-5950 to talk with a peer, or text “4hope” to 741741.  To reach the 24-hour Suicide Prevention, Mental Health/Addiction Crisis, Information and Referral Hotline, call: 216-623-6888.

EMOTIONAL SUPPORT: call the COVID-19 Careline hosted by Ohio Mental Health and Addiction Services at 1-800-720-9616.

SUPPORT AND INFORMATION ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH: live chat is available at NAMI Greater Cleveland Helpline. Live chat messages back and forth with NAMI Greater Cleveland Helpline staff at namigreatercleveland.org.

WANT TO STOP SMOKING: Information on how to stop and where to get help can be found at: www.healthycle.org/ditchtobacco.

NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION LIFELINE: Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or visit suicidepreventionlifeline.org. The Lifeline is FREE, confidential and always available.

IMMIGRATION

IMMIGRATION DETAINEES IN NORTHEAST OHIO: If you need legal assistance with an immigration matter and cannot afford an attorney, Legal Aid may be able to help. Call the Legal Aid’s Detention Project at 888-817-3777.

LICENSE RENEWAL

OHIO BUREAU OF MOTOR VEHICLES: Ohio licenses (including driver licenses, CDLs, identification cards, temporary instruction permits, vehicle registrations and vehicle temporary tags,) expiring during the declared State of Emergency shall remain valid until either 90-days after the declared emergency ends, or December 1, 2020, whichever comes sooner. The state of emergency was declared by Governor DeWine on March 9, 2020.

PETS

CLEVELAND ANIMAL PROTECTIVE LEAGUE offers help if you are struggling to feed your pet due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Contact free pet food delivery is available to Cleveland residents living in isolation during the pandemic. For more information visit clevelandapl.org or call 216-771-4616.

RECREATION

CLEVELAND METROPARKS: The Metroparks are open, some parking lots and roads have been closed to vehicles but are open to pedestrians and bicycles. Areas where it is difficult to keep proper physical distance such as the Edgewater Peer and the Forest Hill Stairs in Rocky River Reservation have been closed. For more information on areas that are closed visit: clevelandmetroparks.com.

YMCA OFFERS FREE VIRTUAL VIDEO WORKOUTS: On-demand videos are now available on their website at www.clevelandymca.org. The videos are for people of all ages and can be accessed at no charge and can be done in the home with no special equipment.

BASEBALL HERITAGE MUSEUM @baseballheritagemuseumcleve is using Facebook and Instagram to post homeschooling help, baseball instruction tips, fun activities and links to other resources that will help keep you connected to the museum, baseball and each other.

REUNION

THE 1960 CLASS OF SAINT STANISLAUS HIGH SCHOOL will hold a reunion at the end of July 2020. For more information contact Reie Dix of the Alumni Committee at 216-357-2674.

SERVICES

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CHILD ADVOCACY CENTER’S LATINA PROJECT offers culturally sensitive services that take into consideration the realities of the Latino life. Services provided in Spanish and free of charge include information about legal rights &Justice System Advocacy, personal assistance & escort, counseling services, weekly Spanish-speaking Support Group/childcare and more. For more information call 216-229-2420 or visit www.dvcac.org.

SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGNS

CUYAHOGA COUNTY SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN aims to show how residents are “Spreading Joy” during COVID-19 Pandemic by using the hashtag #SpreadingJoyNEO share ideas and joy and inspire others to do things that feel good for them.

SUPPORT GROUPS

NATIONAL ALIANCE FOR THE MENTALLY ILL (NAMI) GREATER CLEVELAND VIRTUAL SUPPORT GROUPS: Please call the support group numbers below 5 or 10 minutes beforehand in case you run into any difficulty.

NAMI FAMILY GROUP (for family member, friend or caregiver of an adulty with mental illness) Tuesdays from 7-8:30 p.m. Join by calling 216-452-6841. You will be prompted to enter the following code: 391 639 233, then push pound (#) to continue.

NAMI FAMILY GROUP- DUAL DIAGNOSIS (for family member, friend or caregiver of persons with mental illness and substance use disorder). Tuesdays, 7-8:30 p.m. Join by calling 216-452-6841. You will be prompted to enter the following code: 391 639 233, then push pound (#) to continue.

NAMI PEER GROUP (for adults 18 & older living with mental illness). Thursdays from 3-4:30 p.m. Join by calling 216-307-8224. You will be prompted to enter the following code: 829 554 282, then push pound (#) to continue.

NAMI PEER GROUP (for adults 18 & older living with mental illness). Mondays from 6:30 – 8 p.m. Join by calling 216-352-6137. You will be prompted to enter the following code: 504 127 492, then push pound (#) to continue.

TAXES

INCOME TAX FILING DATES have been extended for both Federal and State income tax filings until July 15^th. The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) tax prep at the Gordon Square Arcade has been temporarily suspended. As an immediate alternate, you may file your taxes for free at myfreetaxes.com. Updates on in-person tax prep will be at refundohio.org.

VOLUNTEERS

CASA of Cuyahoga County, a program of Child and Family Advocates of Cuyahoga County, needs volunteers to advocate for children who have been neglected and abused. CASAs are everyday citizens who are appointed by the Court to advocate for the safety and well-being of children and represent the children’s best interests. CASAs are trained to investigate, facilitate, advocate, and monitor one or two cases at a time to help the Court make the best decision for a safe, caring, and permanent home for children involved in the juvenile justice and child welfare systems. Those interested in becoming a CASA, please visit cfadvocates.org or call 216.443.3377 for more information.

GIRLTREK: a public health movement for Black women and girls, is training 3000 neighborhood captains to hold 1,000 walks in neighborhoods around the country in 2019. To sign up to participate email lead@girltrek.org.

CHILD ABUSE REPORTING

CUYAHOGA COUNTY DIVISION OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES’ CHILD ABUSE HOTLINE: 216-696-KIDS (5437). The Cuyahoga County Division of Children and Family Services can also accept child abuse reports 24/7 through email at protecting-cuyahoga-kids@jfs.ohio.gov; via its website at http://cfs.cuyahogacounty.us/en-us/Report-Child-Aubse-Neglect.aspx; or via Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CuyahogaCountyDivisionofChildrenandFamilyServices/ and then click on “Contact Us” to file a report through the County’s website.