We are working on gathering a collection of community resources to help you through the COVID-19 crisis. If you're feeling depressed, anxious, overwhelmed, see our listing of mental health hotlines; if you are struggling with food insecurity, check our listing of food banks. If you're a senior wanting to find special hours at supermarkets and pharmacies, click here.
Services in many other categories will be added on a daily basis.
News from Kanopy:
If you don't know about Kanopy or how to access this service, click here.
From the Dome to Your Home: a Virtual Planetarium Experience
Friday April 10, 2020, 7:00PM
This Friday, the Framingham State University Planetarium will host our first-ever live, virtual planetarium show! We will re-recreate the planetarium experience in your home, with a live, guided tour of our night sky using our professional digital planetarium software. Our educators will be on hand to answer your questions live, and audience discussion and interaction is encouraged!
Plus, thanks to a generous offer from Spitz, Inc., we are able to provide attendees with a portal to view Solar Superstorms, a stunning fulldome film created originally for planetariums, now specially formatted to display in dazzling HD on your computer screen.
Details
Registration is required for this virtual event. Click here to register shortly before the event's start time.
Live presentation: 30 minutes (including Q+A), all audiences
Solar Superstorms: 25 minutes, general audiences (advanced)
Visit https://cm-center.org/events/virtualplanetarium for more information, and head to that same page on Friday to find the link to join this live event.
Scammers are taking advantage of fears surrounding the Coronavirus. Here's how to avoid coronavirus scams.
* Don’t respond to texts, emails or calls about checks from the government. The details are still coming together.
* Ignore online offers for vaccinations and home test kits. There are no products proven to treat or prevent COVID-19 at this time.
* Hang up on robocalls. Scammers are using illegal robocalls to pitch everything from low-priced health insurance to work-at-home schemes.
* Watch for emails claiming to be from the CDC or WHO. Use sites like coronavirus.gov and usa.gov/coronavirus to get the latest information. And don’t click on links from sources you don’t know.
* Do your homework when it comes to donations. Never donate in cash, by gift card, or by wiring money.
Stay Informed:
Framingham Coronavirus Community Outreach has been created with the goal of linking people who need help to those who are able to help. This is a network for the Framingham community during the coronavirus outbreak. We provide emergency support, emotional support, links to resources, up-to-date store information, and emergency groceries and items along with a link to our comprehensive Resource List.
Email: FraminghamOutreach@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/253780618965941/
Website: www.FraminghamOutreach.org
If you're feeling depressed, anxious, or having thoughts of suicide, please call one of these hotlines to speak to a trained, caring volunteer.
We recognize that seniors are particularly vulnerable during the COVID-19 crisis, and so, we have created a resource guide geared to seniors in Framingham. At this time, we are presenting information on special accommodations offered by grocery stores, pharmacies, and banks. This is a work in progress and new categories of services will be added on a continual basis. Here is a link to Resources for Seniors (60+): Local Business Accommodations. You may also access the guide by selecting the menu item from our website: Services->Library Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic->Resources for Seniors (60+): Local Business Accommodations.
The Latino Health Insurance Program is offering important services to the Framingham community in Spanish, Portuguese, and English. These services include health and dental insurance enrollment, SNAP/food stamp enrollment, education about COVID-19, clinical evaluation for COVID-19, and medical orders for testing (when appropriate). Call 508-875-1237, or email help@lhiprogram.org for more information.
Hours of operation are Monday-Friday from 9am to 5pm.
From Framingham Community Partners:
At 6 PM this evening a Facebook Live session will feature Massachusetts medical experts offering COVID19 guidance in Spanish. The conversation will be streamed on Facebook Live at:
https://www.facebook.com/events/170659447332727/?active_tab=about
Enjoy these free Kids' eBooks about COVID-19:
Just For Kids: A Comic Exploring The New Coronavirus (NPR). Comic that includes information from healthcare experts interviewed for an NPR story. Can also be printed and folded into a zine.
Coronavirus Infographic and Game (Tumblehome Books). Free resources for teaching children about the Coronavirus and hygiene.
My Hero is You: How Kids Can Fight COVID 19. Free PDF book intended for kids ages 5-8 and designed to be shared with an adult, from the Inter-Agency Standing Committee Reference Group on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings.
Be A Coronavirus Fighter! Free Ebook (Multiple Languages)