This page was last updated on 3/19/20 at 2:30pm.
Keeping LMI residents healthy and financially stable is our number one priority during the COVID-19 pandemic. Shelter-in-place and social distancing requirements have forced most of our Resource Centers to close temporarily, so our team is hard at work meeting the needs of residents remotely. Here’s how:
1.) Launched an online Resident Resource Library
- https://www.project-access.org/residents/
- Available 24/7, this webpage connects residents to free resources that meet the most common needs of residents; such as internet access, employment support, and educational resources for youth.
- Residents can submit a request for support 24/7 and we will respond within 24 hours.
2.) Proactive communication with residents
- Resident Services Coordinators (and all other PA staff) are available to residents via phone during normal Resource Center hours.
- Staff and volunteers are proactively calling the residents in their communities* to:
- assess their needs,
- connect them to specific resources including the Resident Resource Library, and
- reassure them that together, we will rise above this pandemic.
- Signs are posted throughout the communities we serve directing residents to the Resident Resource Library and our phone line
- We are working with Property Management personnel to ensure the Resident Resource Library and our phone number are posted on Resident Portals and sent out to every resident via text and email.
3.) Addressing food scarcity
- Delivering boxes of food to the doorstep of senior apartments.
- We are aiming for weekly deliveries. Frequency depends on the supply available from food banks and stock in local stores.
- Where available, we are continuing partnerships with local food banks to do supplemental food distribution to residents. Frequency depends on the supply available from food banks.
- As of 3/19, we are asking for donations and collections of non-perishable food items for distribution to our highest-need residents.
- Where developers make funding available, we will shop for food, medicine, and cleaning supplies for residents and distribute weekly.
4.) Fulfilling other miscellaneous needs
- We are fulfilling specific, unique needs of residents, such as:
- Delivering baby formula and diapers for single mothers who lack transportation.
- Picking up and delivering medications or medical supplies to seniors.
- Delivering books from our Resource Center “library” to families without age-appropriate reading materials for youth.
*Please note that our goal is to contact every resident in the community weekly. The number of calls we can complete is dependent on numerous factors including length of discussions and nature of help we provide on each call, time spent on securing and delivering supplemental food, etc.
In the Works/Coming Soon
The measures above are already in place. Additional things our staff is working tirelessly to build, secure, and/or deliver include:
- Mass texting platform – Project Access is currently exploring platforms that allow us to mass-text all residents in order to share the Resident Resource Library and relevant local updates.
- Shopping and delivery of supplies – Where we are able to secure donations or funding, we are shopping to cleaning supplies, medical items, and food for residents.
- Video content supporting resident employment – We’ve reached out to many resources in our network and are working to create or compile video content that helps our residents access existing employment resources (especially in languages other than English). We are also actively recruiting bilingual volunteers who can assist residents whose employment is impacted by COVID-19 to apply for disability, unemployment, and/or other resources available in their area.
- Volunteers supporting delivery in communities – We’re working to waive liability and recruit healthy volunteers to support phone calls and deliver of food and supplies in communities across the country.
- Moving from in-person programs to remote – As we settle into our new temporary normal, we will be adding more innovative ways to support our residents. We will update you often.