Resources for Families
This page includes resources for families around housing, food, health, mental health, unemployment and more. Scroll down for each section.
If you have questions or need support, please reach out to Ms. Anderson-Clemente (Ms. AC) at tandersonclemente@bostonpublicschools.org
Cradles to Crayons Request
Cradles to Crayons serves students experiencing low-income and/or homelessness. Cradles to Crayons serves children ages 0-12, sizes Newborn - Adult Medium. Feel free to submit an ORDER FORM for all of your children, even if they do not attend the Mendell.
Ms. Herring will be in contact regarding orders, feel free to email her with any questions or concerns at herrinta@bc.edu Some items that Cradles to Crayons offers:
Winter Coats
Clothing packs
Hygiene items
Diapers (newborn-size 6) and wipes
Shoes (everyday, winter boots, summer shoes)
Hats & gloves
School and art supplies
Pajamas, Socks, Underwear
Face masks
*Sizes/Items requested are not guaranteed to be available.
BPHC housing and Food Resources
Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) has assembled BPHC Housing and Food Resources, which is a pretty comprehensive listing, including eviction and foreclosure prevention references.
Massachusetts’ ban on evictions and foreclosures are extended till April 2022. There is now a federal eviction moratorium established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Read more below or go here
CDC Moratorium: There is a federal eviction moratorium in place until October 3rd, 2021. The Order prohibits property owners from evicting people who cannot pay rent. You must fill out this declaration form (English, Español, Português, 中文, Français, Kriolu Kabuverdianu, Kreyòl ayisyen, Soomaali, русский, Tiếng Việt, or عربى) and present it to your landlord.
Some landlords have pledged to work with their tenants to maintain their housing. See if your landlord has signed the pledge.
A landlord cannot force you out by changing the locks or shutting off the utilities. Landlords must follow a legal process. Learn about the eviction process.
Rental and Mortgage Relief
More RAFT and ERMA funds available- Learn more at Metro Housing Boston
Resources
Contact the City of Boston Office of Housing Stability- housingstability@boston.gov or call 617-635-4200
Call 2-1-1: Operators for 2-1-1 are trained to answer questions and connect residents to the agencies that administer RAFT and ERMA. Or go to mass.gov/CovidHousingHelp.
Call HomeStart’s Eviction Prevention Hotline- 857-415-2900
Call ABCD Boston at 617-348-6000, or visit their website here
Utility Financial Assistance
Read the attached document, Solutions to Help with Your Energy Bill, from National Grid and Eversource for residential customers who may benefit from financial assistance in these difficult times (info about billing/payment plans, discounts and fuel assistance)
Mendell Counseling Services
The Mendell partners with the Brighton Allston Mental Health Association (BAMHA) program through the Italian Home for Children to provide students with school counseling services. Read the Clinical Director's letter to learn more about the new Mendell School Counselors.
Check out the BAMHA flyer to learn more about their outpatient clinic, which offers a diverse array of group, individual and family therapy services as well as psychopharmacology to clients ages 4 and older.
Housing Resources
Evictions
Are you experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless?
The Mendell and the BPS Homeless Education Resource Network (HERN) provide resources and referrals to families experiencing homelessness and/or can advocate on your behalf. Reach out to the City Connects Coordinator Taylor Herring, Ms. Dulce at 617-635-8234, or your student's teacher. You can also call the BPS HERN office at (617) 635-8037 .
More RAFT Resources - 10/2020
Acknowledging the dire housing needs of individuals and families across the state, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts recently released an additional $6.2 million to Metro Housing for rent and mortgage relief programs.
Apply at MetroHousingBoston.org/CovidHelp
Shelter: Families can continue to apply for Emergency Assistance Family Shelter through the state of MA by calling 1-866-584-0653. Click here for more information.
Here is the guide to Emergency Assistance Shelter
Home Start Inc: 617-542-0338; http://www.homestartinc.org
Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership: 617-859-0400; 1-800-272-0990; http://www.mphp.org
MA Coalition for the Homeless: 781-595-7570; http://www.mahomeless.org
Office of Housing Stability: 617-635-4200; email housingstability@boston.gov; or visit https://www.boston.gov/departments/neighborhood-development/office-housing-stability Find resources for help paying rent, eviction, resolving issues with landlords, housing search, and shelter.
Greater Boston Legal Services: Housing- Among the direct client services offered by Greater Boston Legal Services related to housing is eviction defense.
Housing Search Leads
Metrolist https://www.boston.gov/metrolist
Metro Housing Boston List https://www.metrohousingboston.org/apartment-listings/
BHA List https://bostonhousing.org/en/For-Landlords/Units-for-Homeless-Families-with-Vouchers.aspx
Show Me The Rent https://www.showmetherent.com/
Food Assistance
Hotline: MA residents can contact Project Bread’s FoodSource Hotline at 1-800-645-8333 (TTY 1-800-377-1292) or http://www.projectbread.org/get-help/ or gettingsnap.org for resources in their community and help signing up for SNAP (“food stamps”), WIC (Women, Infants, & Children). Available in 160 languages and for those who are hearing impaired.
Brookside Community Health Center
Stop by at the Brookside Community Health Center Parking, 3297 Washington St. Jamaica Plain, Wednesdays and Thursday from 9am-4pm to pick up a box of produce for free, no questions asked. Additionally they are handing out free care packages .
Pandemic EBT cards for families who qualify for free and reduced-price school meals. Visit https://www.map-ebt.org/ for more information; more funds arriving in fall 2020 for eligible families.
SNAP Grocery Delivery- Buy food online at Amazon or Walmart using SNAP EBT card
Find food pantries and community meal programs: Click here.
People who use WIC should plan to arrive at the grocery store first thing in the morning before things are cleared out for the day. You can call the store and find out what days they are restocking certain items.
Expensify.org is matching SNAP grocery purchases up to $50 per family. Click here for more info.
Neighbors helping Neighbors - https://www.nesterlygoodneighbors.com/
Academic Support
Steppingstone
Steppingstone prepares students from historically marginalized communities to access, navigate, and graduate from college. The Mendell partners with Steppingstone in supporting eligible 4th and 5th graders apply to the program. Read more below.
Steppingstone recruits Boston fourth and fifth grade to participate in a program that provides the academic tools and social-emotional skills to be successful in middle school and high school, and the support to access, navigate and graduate from college. Steppingstone guides all students and families through the process of identifying and applying to a right-fit school. This includes independent schools - tuition-charging private schools that offer financial aid - and select Boston public schools, including the three Exam Schools which are public schools that require an entrance exam. Students accepted to the program in fourth grade will participate for up to 3 summers and 2 academic years. Students accepted in fifth grade will participate for 2 summers and 1 academic year. Regardless of entry point, we make a 12+ year commitment to each student and family on their path to and through college!
Interested in applying? Fill out this online inquiry form and Steppingstone will send you more information
Cash benefits (Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA), TAFDC, EAEDC, and SNAP/EBT
If you are in Boston and have questions about cash benefits (TAFDC), SNAP, or child care, you can call Boston Legal Aid’s Welfare Law Unit at (617) 603-1806. Make sure to leave a voicemail with your name and number or you will not get a call back.
Families applying for cash assistance (TAFDC or EAEDC) should call their local DTA office to start an application. Find your local DTA office here.
DTA local offices have been closed to in-person visits until further notice. You can still call the DTA Assistance Line at (877) 382-2363, visit DTAConnect.com, and download the DTA Connect mobile app.
COVID-19 Resources
Link to Nurse Jasmine's Site: School Nurse Site; This site has resources for families on health and wellness related to COVID-19
At-Home Covid Tests: Starting March 7, in addition to the routine weekly pool testing and symptomatic testing, BPS, will begin offering free, weekly take-home antigen tests. In order for your student to participate in this new option, parents/guardians are required to specifically sign up for this at-home rapid testing option. If you would like your student to receive a weekly take home test, you must submit a permission form. Please note this form is a different form than the one you may have signed earlier this year for testing. Please check your email for an email from “permission click”, which allows you to digitally sign your students permission form. Please note, this email may be in your junk mail folder. For students who have submitted a permission form, every two weeks starting on the week of March 7th, students will receive an iHealth At-Home Rapid Test kit. Each kit contains two individual tests. We ask that these tests be used 3 to 4 days following your student’s pool testing at school. We test at the Mendell on Tuesdays. Please test at home on Friday or Saturday. If your child tests positive, we ask that you report the positive result to your child’s school immediately via phone and follow isolation protocols outlined on the BPS webpage COVID-19 Health & Safety Information / Quarantine Protocols
COVID-19 Testing: Do you want to get tested for COVID-19 but don't know how or where? There is free testing at mobile testing sites in the City, available to all regardless of symptoms. Visit boston.gov/covid19-testing-map to find a testing site near you.
Talking to children about COVID-19
Childcare
Childcare Voucher: Get on the childcare voucher waitlist by calling 211 or going to this link: https://mass211.org/child-care-wait-list-registration/
YMCA - The YMCA will continue to partner with the Mendell to provide off site programming (both full day and after-school). For more information please contact Sharnice Morning at smorning@ymcaboston.org or (857) 348-3663
Boston Center for Youth and Families (BCYF): 617-635-4920, https://www.boston.gov/departments/boston-centers-youth-families
Find a community center: https://boston.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=c395c81be3bc4ef4878a5d36b96e9245 or here: https://www.boston.gov/community-centers
Employment and Unemployment
If you have been laid off, terminated, or have experienced a significant decrease in hours, you may be eligible to receive unemployment assistance.
Apply for Unemployment Benefits by calling at (617) 626-6800 or (877) 626-6800. Click here for instructions on how to apply.
Internet
Comcast Internet Essentials
Families can sign up for the Comcast Internet Essentials program and receive 60 days for free.
Households are eligible for this program if they:
Qualify for programs like the National School Lunch Program, housing assistance, Medicaid, SNAP, SSI, and others.
Live in an area where Comcast Internet service is available
Have not had Comcast Internet in the last 90 days
Households who owe money to Comcast may still qualify if approved by 12/31/20
Be sure to call the correct phone number (see below). DO NOT call the regular service line.
English: 1-855-846-8376 or InternetEssentials.com
Spanish: 1-855-765-6995 or es.InternetEssentials.com
The language of the application can be changed. There is a link to change the language on the top right side of the application.
Amnesty for bad debt/past debt forgiveness is in place through 12/31.
Families should elect to get the self-install kit first. If they ask for a technician to come and install, they will be charged an installation fee. However, if they call after they've received the self-install kit, they will send a technician at no charge.
Lifeline
There’s a federal program called Lifeline that low-income households can apply to get up to $9.25 off either their phone or internet bill.
RCN
RCN is offering 60 days free for low-income households.