Facts/Information about COVID-19

• World Health Organization (WHO):https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019;
• https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-coronaviruses
• US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html
• PA Department of Health: https://www.health.pa.gov/topics/disease/Pages/Coronavirus.aspx
• Montgomery County: https://data-montcopa.opendata.arcgis.com/pages/covid-19

Mental Health resources

• US Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC): https://emergency.cdc.gov/coping/selfcare.asp
• American Psychological Association: https://www.apa.org/practice/programs/dmhi/research-information/social-distancing
• Anxiety and Depression Society of America: https://adaa.org/finding-help/coronavirus-anxiety-helpful-resources?_zs=CB8Ab&_zl=U3K12

Parent/Caregiver resources

• The National Child Traumatic Stress Network: https://www.nctsn.org/resources/parent-caregiver-guide-to-helping-families-cope-with-the-coronavirus-disease-2019
• US Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC): https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/coping.html;
• American Psychiatric Association (APA): https://www.psychiatry.org

Talking to children about COVID-19

• US Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC): https://www.cdc.gov/childrenindisasters/helping-children-cope.html
• The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/02/well/family/coronavirus-teenagers-anxiety.html
• National Public Radio: https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/02/28/809580453/just-for-kids-a- comic-exploring-the-new-coronavirus
• National Association of School Psychologists(NASP):
  https://www.nasponline.org/resources-and-publications/resources-and-podcasts/school-climate-safety-and-crisis/health-crisis-resources/helping-children-cope-with-changes-resulting-from-covid-19

Behavioral Health Resources
Montgomery County Crisis Intervention/ Suicide Prevention:
Montgomery County Emergency Service, Inc 610-279-6100
PA Drug Addiction Hotline 800-662-HELP
PA Crisis/ Suicide Intervention Hotline 412-820-HELP
NATIONAL HOTLINES:
Talk Line (“Warm Line”) 800-273-TALK
Text line Text: “HOME”
TTT Line for Hearing Impaired Persons 800-799-4889
Spanish 888-628-9454
Veterans Crisis Line 800-273-8255
TEXT 838255
Trans Lifeline 877-565-8860

Dental Emergencies
Normal dental procedures are not happening, but dental professionals are still treating dental emergencies to stop ongoing tissue bleeding, alleviate severe pain or infection, swelling and trauma. You can phone your dental office or phone the following locations:
Albert Einstein Medical Center, Department of Dental Medicine: 215-456-7130
Penn Dental Emergency Department: 215-898-8965
Thomas Jefferson Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery: 215-955-6215
Temple Dental Emergency after hours: 215-707-4545
Penn Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery: 800-789-7366

WAYS TO HELP

There is a shortage of masks and other protective equipment for our first responders and hospitals. If you have any masks, gloves, or other items to donate please drop them at the Fire Academy at 1175 Academy Drive in Conshohocken. The County will get the masks and other equipment to where they are needed most.

Kohelet Yeshiva High School is working with Lankenau Hospital to produce face shields for first responders and hospital workers. If you have a 3D printer and would like to help make protective shields, please contact faceshields@koheletyeshiva.org. Please also consider making a tax-deductible contribution to this effort through www.koheletyeshiva.org/faceshields.

Main Line Health System started a COVID-19 Employee Emergency Fund to support health care workers with financial assistance for childcare, housing, commuting costs and wellness needs. Here is the link to the fund: https://www.mainlinehealth.org/ways-to-give/employee-emergency-fund. If you want to support MLH’s COVID-19 efforts in another way, contact Karrie Borgelt at borgeltk@mlhs.org

Montgomery County announced the formation of a Montgomery County PA Covid-19 Response Fund, to support non-profits in this area working to respond to the pandemic. You can donate to this fund through the following link: https://mcfoundationinc.networkforgood.com/projects/95885-montco-pa-covid-19-response-fund?fbclid=IwAR2D0DjFi1A9JIxP41ol5jOgUtl-sAQbqmhaaVtNdTln5CVxhwclBP5sCJg

Our food pantries need support to help our most vulnerable residents. You can donate or volunteer through the following links.

ElderNet: https://eldernetonline.org/donate

Ardmore Food Pantry https://www.gofundme.com/f/ardmorefoodpantry

Narberth Community Food Bank:

• Donate Food or Money: Pay with Pay Pal or Credit Card or donate shelf stable items; see our updated “Most Needed” list at https://narberthcommunityfoodbank.org/donations/
• Volunteer: We will need additional volunteers to pack bags and to deliver them. To volunteer, contact leadership@narberthcommunityfoodbank.org

BUSINESS INFORMATION

All non-essential businesses are closed by order of the Governor. Businesses can get a waiver application through the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) website. or may contact the Department of Community and Economic Development at ra-dcedcs@pa.gov or by calling 1-877-PA-HEALTH and selecting option 1.

Links to two programs that may assist local businesses are here:
Pennsylvania
Covid-19 Working Capital Access (CWCA) Program
https://dced.pa.gov/programs/covid-19-working-capital-access-program-cwca/

Philadelphia
Philadelphia Business Relief Fund
https://www.phila.gov/programs/philadelphia-covid-19-small-business-relief-fund/

CHANGES IN LAWS

The federal government passed the Cares Act, which will provide a wide range of relief for individuals and businesses affected by the pandemic. Highlights include the opportunity for 1099 workers, who are not employees, to receive payments, and for small businesses to apply for loans that can be forgiven under certain circumstances including if they keep their employees on the payroll.

PRIMARY DATE CHANGE AND VOTE BY MAIL

The primary has been moved to June 2, 2020. The deadline to register to vote in the primary is now May 18, 2020, and the deadline to apply for a mail in ballot is May 26, 2020. Please, for your and our community’s safety, vote by mail. You can request a vote by mail ballot at votespa.com. If you or a family member applied for an absentee ballot and it will be going to the wrong location you can submit a form to change the address. The form can be found through this link: https://www.montcopa.org/763/Forms.

CENSUS

While you are home, please also complete your Census response. An accurate census is critical to funding for the County for the next decade.

These are extraordinary times and what each of us does affects our entire community. Please keep doing your part to keep all of us safe. I will be sending additional updates as information becomes available. Please email me with any questions or requests for assistance at gkramer@lowermerion.org, or call me at 610-617-3131.

Gilda Kramer
Ward 13 Commissioner
Lower Merion Township