The Coronavirus pandemic has impacted every facet of our lives, but there are services available to help us cope.
With the help of our Voices network, we’ve pulled together a working list of resources to help pregnant persons and their families manage during this challenging time. We’ve also included information for doulas. lactation specialists and other advocates in the birth justice community. (Some resources will be California based – specifically in San Francisco, Oakland and Fresno – since most of our Voices live and work in these regions.)
Our deepest thanks to everyone who is working on the front lines to provide care and services during COVID-19, and to the many individuals and organizations who have contributed to this list.
This list is merely a starter, and we will be updating this list as more services are found or recommended. If you have additional resources you would like to recommend, please email us at info@voicesforbirthjustice.org.
To find a specific service click on the categories below.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention share evidence-based information to common questions around COVID-19’s impact on pregnancy and breastfeeding
Oakland Lactation Consultant, Tanefer Camera, is hosting a virtual infant-toddler feeding and pregnancy support groups twice a week called Midnight Milk Club. The meetings provide infant feeding and breastfeeding support at night. It’s free to join and people do not need to be local to participate.
March of Dimes provides a helpful guide to understanding how the virus can impact mothers and children.
WIC is offering all services online or via phone. Even new enrollments. Many people who are not working may be with in the income requirements to get WIC. Once a family is enrolled in WIC they are eligible for the 1 year.
MotherToBaby, a national authority on the safety of medications and other exposures during pregnancy and while breastfeeding, offers a fact sheet on the Coronavirus outbreak. The fact sheet addresses concerns such as whether the virus could cause infertility, miscarriage and birth defects.
Birth Doula Carrie Murphy lists online birth education classes intended for pregnant people who have lost access to their birth education due to Coronavirus.
Dona International a toolkit for doulas to best support their clients and themselves during the pandemic. Please note: the toolkit includes information about using personal protective equipment (PPE). However, with a national shortage it is recommended that doulas not use PPE. To learn more see Cornerstone Doula Training’s guidance letter below.
Cornerstone Community Doula Trainings has created a guidance letter with considerations for the doula community when making a determination whether they will leave to attend their clients’ births. The letter also details how hospital restrictions may impact doula services and how doulas might respond.
The International Lactation Consultant Association is working to provide resources, guidelines, and communication tools for lactation supporters.
The CDC’s official page on COVID-19.
California Department of Public Health is issuing daily updates on COVID-19.
Interested residents can text OAKGOV to 28748 for the lasted COVID-19 updates from the Oakland County Health Division.
ACPHD shares resources and updated county-wide information on Coronavirus. Text COVID19 to 211211 for current information for how the illness spreads, prevention and more.
If you text COVID19SF to 888777 you will receive real time updates and the latest developments on SF’s response to COVID-19. They also send you tips to keep safe and any new policies put into place during the outbreak.
The Fresno County Department of Public Health (FCDPH)’s COVID-19 page has plans in place to inform and protect all residents, limit exposures to any new cases if identified, and address concerns as they arise.
This website has UCSF’s updated information, resources and responses to the coronavirus including donation centers and volunteer opportunties.
Marin County launched a phone number this week to help with any questions or concerns you may have related to COVID-19 . Volunteers are available at 415-473-7191 .
San Francisco to Suspend Power and Water Shutoffs, Waive Penalties and Interest for Delinquent Payments
A list of internet providers and what resources or support they are offering to customers during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Many school campuses have closed down leaving students with having to move out in a matter of days. U-Haul is offering students with a valid Student ID free storage for 30 days. It is a company wide program therefore, any location near you will waive off the first month rental fee.
Effective immediately PG&E has implemented a moratorium on service disconnections for non-payments. This will apply to both business and residential customers until further notice. If you are experiencing hardships due to COVID-19 they will also be offering flexible payment plans to help you in every way they can.
In response, grocery stores in the Bay Area and elsewhere are launching specific hours designated only for older folks and other at-risk people, so they can shop with less — one hopes — risk to their health.
Student Nutrition Services is now serving free meals at 20 sites across San Francisco, including Treasure Island. Thanks to a generous funder, we are also now providing supper, which means families can access breakfast, lunch, and supper at all 20 sites.
Starting March 17 SFSUD will be providing free breakfast and lunch to all children 18 and younger at 14 pick up sites Monday-Friday. No proof of enrollment will be needed but a child must be present.
This Now This video depicts a doctor is sharing tips for grocery shopping during a pandemic.
The California Employment Development Department provides a comprehensive list of support services they are providing to individuals affected by COVID-19. Services include: Disability Insurance, Paid Family Leave, Unemployment Claims, and Federal Unemployment Assistance
Legal Aid at Work provides information about workers’ rights during Coronavirus outbreak, and for information about their Workers’ Rights Clinics appointments during this time.
The Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service announced that the federal income tax filing due date is automatically extended from April 15, 2020, to July 15, 2020.
In a news conference Friday Trump announced that he would be waiving interest for all student loans held by federal government agencies until further notice.
The city of San Francisco is offering emergency grants of up to 10,000 for smaller businesses impacted by COVID-19.
Bank of America will allow customers to defer payments on mortgages amid COVID-19 financial crisis.
They are waiving monthly service fees and penalties for early CD withdrawal for retail bank customers.They are also providing fee waivers on monthly service fees, remote deposit capture, and penalties for early CD withdrawal. They also have assistance programs for eligible credit card customers including credit line increases and collection forbearance programs and for eligible Mortgage Customers.
They released the following statement: “We stand ready to work with those experiencing financial difficulty as a result, and we are taking the necessary steps to avoid potential disruptions of service to our customers. PNC is prepared to offer assistance, as needed, to impacted customers through a range of measures.” They are urging customers to call them at 1-888-762-2265 (7 a.m. – 10 p.m. ET Monday – Friday; 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. ET Saturday & Sunday).
The bank says they will help customers experiencing financial hardships as a result of COVID-19: “If in need of assistance, we encourage customers to call us at 1-800-219-9739 to speak with a trained specialist to discuss options available for their consumer lending, small business and deposit products.”
This guide by LendEDU talks about taking steps to get financial help towards stability during COVID-19.
Starting Friday, March 13th at 6p San Francisco Public Libraries will be closing and beginning Monday they will operate as an indoor recreation facility for low income families and kids of parents in the front lines of the COVID-19.
Monday through Friday, 7:30am – 6p the library will serve K through 5th grade. From 8a – 6p they will be providing homework help and educational enrichment for 6th to 12th graders. They will also provide support and guidance for childcare.
San Francisco Mayor announced that an order will go into effect immediately to prevent evictions of any resident who suffers a loss of income related to COVID-19
Project Ellis is providing housing relief grants for folks dealing with COVID-19 shut down in the Bay Area. Due to overwhelming response they will be opening up the applications again on March 23rd.
Project Homeless Connect offers a list of resources for people experiencing homelessness in San Francisco during the Coronavirus pandemic including: drop-in centers, family services, food and shelter information, hygene care, legal services, medical and urgent dental care, mental health services, pet care, veteran services, domestic violence services, and youth services.
Learn more about your tenant rights from San Francisco’s Rent Board. Please note your landlord cannot engage in price-gouging during a state of emergency. If you receive a notice for a rent increase over 10%, contact the SF Rent Board right away.
Learn about tenant rights and public housing opportunities through the HRCSF. They also offer free tenant counseling services.
The UCSF Psychiatry department created a list of resources to support families in coping with the impact of COVID-19. Topics include: how to talk with children about COVID-19, helping children cope, family harmony while stuck at home, staying well during pregnancy amongst others.
A list of recommendations was created by the San Francisco African American Parent Advisory Committee.
The meditation app has put together a list of free resources to support families impacted by COVID-19
Ten Percent Happier has compiled a list of podcasts, talks, blogs and meditations to help people build resilience and find calm amidst the chaos.
This online free Yale course begins March 23rd, 2020 and engages participants in a series of challenges designed to increase their own happiness and build more productive habits. Professor Laurie Santos reveals misconceptions about happiness, annoying features of the mind that lead us to think the way we do, and the research that can help us change.
Down Dog is making all of their yoga courses free for students and teachers till July 1st in order to promote wellness during the school closures.
Find a host of free yoga classes through Yoga with Adriene’s YouTube page.
Peleton is offering a free 90 day trial for its app that offers thousands of live and on-demand workout classes.
Planet fitness is offering free classes streamed daily on Facebook Live at 4PM PST/6PM CST.
Each day, a different encore presentation from the company’s Live in HD series is being made available for free streaming on the Met website, with each performance available for a period of 23 hours, from 7:30 p.m. EDT until 6:30 p.m. the following day.
Several famous museums around the globe are offering virtual museum tours.
Each day, a different encore presentation from the company’s Live in HD series is being made available for free streaming on the Met website, with each performance available for a period of 23 hours, from 7:30 p.m. EDT until 6:30 p.m. the following day.
The quizzical minds of the Puzzled Pint volunteers have been assembling a big spreadsheet with lots of things to do such as escape rooms, puzzles, games, streaming platforms, and more! Folks can add suggestions at the bottom. Don’t take the “kid” in the title too literally – many of these are aimed at grown-ups too.
This virtual series brings together scholars and practitioners to discuss the threats we face, and how we might respond. Free and open to the public. Join events via Zoom at tinyurl.com/COVID19Justice.
This resource list details a range of ways that the pandemic may impact communities of color and other vulnerable populations disproportionally, as well as ways that policy change, organizing and other strategies can help mitigate those disparities.
A majority of Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center patients are now unemployed. The resources being gathered will support all patients coming to any ZSFG sites including the outpatient clinic, Women’s Options and the Family Birth Center, as well as home deliveries and other San Francisco Department of Public Health community clinics.
PRIORITY is a nationwide registry for pregnant and postpartum women with suspected COVID-19 or confirmed diagnosis. The aim is to collect high yield data to answer urgent questions that inform care and counseling of pregnant women and their newborns. This registry is open to hospitals across the country.
There is currently a national blood shortage so please consider donating if you are able. You can contact your local blood bank or go through the Red Cross.
Alameda food banks is looking for volunteers to spend three hours packing food in their warehouse to provide tens of thousands of meals for their community.
The Berkeley Mutual Aid Network is a platform to help neighbors connect during the Coronavirus pandemic so that no one in our community has to face this crisis alone.
District 10 Supervisor Shamann Walton’s office has compiled a list of resources for San Francisco residents.
The Freedom Community Clinic has compiled a living document for mass resources in the Bay Area during the COVID-19 pandemic. The list is available in multiple different languages.
AC Care Connect Consumer & Family Fellowship Peer-to-Peer Advisors have put together a list of county-wide resources.
Community Clinic Consortium, which serves Contra Costa and Solano counties, has gathered a comprehensive list of resources to support residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.
From The Arc. Includes latest national guidance, “plain language” materials on COVID-19, and avenues to advocate in Congress to ensure that individuals with disabilities are included in legislation.
We hope that the information on this site will be helpful to you and your family during the Coronavirus pandemic. Please note: this webpage contains links to third party web sites. These links are provided solely as a convenience to you and not as an endorsement by Voices for Birth Justice of the contents on such third-party sites. Any information listed on the resources is not a substitute for appropriate professional medical treatment or diagnosis. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
