Volunteer Opportunities In The Neighborhood

NEIGHBORS HELPING NEIGHBORS

Calling All Seniors: from District Councilor Ed Flynn

With the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the most affected populations has been our seniors, who are at high risk for severe illnesses or complications from the virus. As a result, many of our seniors are advised not to leave their homes, so they might not be able to access the services and resources they need, or feel increasingly isolated during this pandemic. 

During this time, it is critical that we reach out to our seniors. My team and I are planning to make calls to our seniors in District 2, and we are looking for volunteers to assist us with this important task. The calls will serve as a way of checking in with our neighbors to see what their needs are, and to make them feel supported. In a time of social isolation and physical distancing, a phone call may just be the assurance that they need to know that we are always here for them.

If you are interested in volunteering, please fill out the form here . 

Once the form is complete, our office will connect with you in the near future regarding contact information for seniors living in the neighborhoods of District 2. You will be provided a script that includes helpful information you may pass along to our seniors. I have cc'd here Vanessa Woo from my office who is coordinating this volunteer effort for our seniors.

Please feel free to share the form with anyone you know who may be interested. Every little step we take in reaching out to folks will go a long way in helping to combat COVID-19!

Thank you,

Ed Flynn

Boston City Councilor, District 2

Office: 617-635-3203

Email

South Boston Neighborhood Aid Network

South Boston Neighborhood Aid Network is a group of community members working together to collect information and resources in one place, and help neighbors connect with each other to ask for and offer assistance.

To Get Help: 

Find neighbors who have volunteered to help, make a request and get information:

• South Boston Neighborhood Aid website
• Call or Text the Hotline: 617-221-7594
• Email

To Give Help:

Volunteer to help neighbors and find information and resources to share.

• South Boston Neighborhood Aid website
• Email

You Are Invite To A Virtual Neighborhood Gathering: 3/31 at 6pm

You are invited to

FPNA's Inaugural Virtual
Neighborhood Gathering

Tuesday, March 31, 2020
6 pm sharp
Zoom Neighborhood Gathering Link 

featuring

Stone Provisions
21 Wormwood Street
transfer of  Sagorino's Market's package store license

P&G Gillette
 Chapter 91 Licenses Consolidation

ICA Boston Summer Events
requesting a sound level increase for select outdoor events

&

Summer Street Transit Improvements
Boston Transportation Department

with 

Neighborhood Updates & Announcements

To join click on the invitation link. For audio only, call 929-205-6099 and enter meeting id 635702048 followed by # (pound or number sign). We recommend you join us a few minutes in advance of our 6 pm kickoff.

If you have not used Zoom before, once you click on the invitation link above, you will be prompted to install the software or app. 

• On a computer, you will be prompted to install the software from the Zoom website.
• On a mobile device, you will directed to the appropriate App store and asked to install the Zoom Cloud Meeting app. 

NOTE: You will need the software or the App to view our speakers' presentations. 

Why did we choose Zoom? Zoom is being used by the Boston City Council, educators and many others. In this time of physical distancing, we want to stay connected with our neighbors and keep you informed on developments in the neighborhood. 

COVID 19: Parks, Health Services, Blood Drives & 2020 Census

COVID19 CASES

The City of Boston has 825 positive cases of coronavirus (confirmed and presumptive) in Boston residents. So far, 59 of these 825 residents have fully recovered. There have been 2 COVID-19 related deaths in Boston residents.

The Boston Public Health Commission will be providing the updated total of cases in Boston residents as it is received from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Information can be found at boston.gov/coronavirus or bphc.org

Massachusetts has 5,752 positive cases of coronavirus (confirmed and presumptive) and 56 deaths reported at this time. 

The City of Boston has two dashboards to provide statistics on COVID19 cases in Boston and throughout Massachusetts.  View them here.

The City of Boston has a free texting service to provide daily updates and information about the coronavirus. Text BOSCOVID to 99411.

BUOY HEALTH ONLINE COVID19 SCREENINGS

The State of Massachusetts has partnered with South End based Buoy Health: a free health assistance tool to provide medical advice remotely. Buoy Health is not a replacement for emergency care. It provides a free online diagnostic tool which screens for COVID19. Additional information can be found at buoy.com/mass.

ONGOING BLOOD PRODUCT SHORTAGE The Red Cross is facing a critical shortage of blood products due to cancellations of blood drives across the Commonwealth because of implementation of necessary prevention and mitigation actions during COVID-19 outbreak. The Governor has deemed “Blood and plasma donors and the employees of the organizations that operate and manage related activities” as an essential service.

Those who are healthy, feeling well and eligible to give blood or platelets are urged to make an appointment to donate as soon as possible by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org, or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). To schedule a new blood drive contact Bill Forsyth at (617) 699-3808 or via email .

CITY OF BOSTON COVID19 OPERATIONS

All essential City of Boston services such as public safety, public health and maintenance operations including street cleaning, parks maintenance, trash and recycling pick up, etc will continue to be in operation.

While City Hall is still open and running for critical operations, we discourage anyone from coming into City Hall or any municipal building unless they have an urgent need for services that cannot be done by phone or online. If you have questions about whether a department is open to the public, please call the City's hotline at 3-1-1 to get connected to a department.

Residents are asked not to call 9-1-1 unless you are experiencing a medical emergency. All COVID-19 questions should be directed to the Mayor's Health Line at 617-534-5050 or 311. The City and BPHC will continue to provide updated information on bphc.org and boston.gov/coronavirus.

PARKS UPDATE

On March 29th, Mayor Walsh announced that the City of Boston will be taking new measures to discourage anyone from engaging in activities in our parks that put themselves and others at risk. This includes soccer, street hockey, basketball, and all group sports. To start, we’ve begun to temporarily put zip-ties on basketball hoops and we’re temporarily removing street hockey and tennis nets. The Parks Dept will also have new signage up this week. 

While our parks are open for solitary activities such as walks, we urge everyone to practice physical distancing of at least 6ft. The tot lots are closed and there should be no gatherings or contact sports. We are asking for your help communicating this to friends, families and neighbors. Full details about Boston Parks & Rec Dept COVID19 Operations can be found here

FOOD ACCESS

Food pantries are up and running, using grab-and-go packages and with special precautions. The Greater Boston Food Bank website has updated info on food pantries and other food resources, including a link to our meal sites for children and youth. Anyone facing food insecurity can also contact Project Bread at ProjectBread.org, or the Greater Boston Food Bank at GBFB.org. 

We are recommending that seniors with food access needs to call 311 to be connected to our Age Strong department.  

2020 CENSUS

While we are practicing physical distancing, please take some time to fill out the 2020 Census online at https://my2020census.gov/. You may respond online in 13 different languages. The Census Bureau also offers web pages and guides in 59 non-English languages, including American Sign Language, as well as guides in Braille and large print. Visit Language Support to learn more.

It has never been more important that every Bostonian is counted. The information collected helps determine billions of dollars in federal funds to our communities for emergency response, schools, roads, and other public services for the next 10 years. The response rate is currently at 26.4% of Boston households and it is critical we have an accurate count. 

HOMELESS SERVICES PLAN UPDATE

On March 30th, Mayor Walsh announced the Boston Housing Authority and the Boston Public Schools are creating a new partnership to house up to 1,000 families with BPS students at risk of displacement and experiencing homelessness over the next year. Outreach to get families into the application process will begin immediately to expand housing support for Bostonians during and after the COVID-19 public health emergency. The first housing placements are expected to begin in May 2020. Learn more.

On March 29th, Mayor Walsh announced that the City of Boston has secured over 240 additional beds to increase physical distancing in existing shelters and aid those in need of a home to safely quarantine or isolate themselves and reduce the further spread of COVID-19 in Boston.

• Suffolk University will be repurposing a dormitory to provide at least 172 beds, helping reduce congestion and increase physical distancing in existing shelters in Boston. This facility will be managed in collaboration between the Pine Street Inn and the Boston Public Health Commission. This facility is not for quarantine—it’s being used to relieve pressure for regular use on our existing shelters.
• The Davis Companies has provided another 70 beds at the site of a former long-term acute care hospital in Brighton (Commonwealth Avenue). This facility will be operated by the Boston Public Health Commission in partnership with Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program. This facility is for quarantining purposes. 

People in need of homeless services should not go directly to Suffolk University or the new site in Brighton. They should go to one of the existing homeless shelters, which all remain open, including: Pine Street Inn, Woods Mullen, 112 Southampton, the Boston Rescue Mission, and Rosie's Place.

These 240 new beds are in addition to the 55 beds we already created for COVID-19 purposes in the South End near our shelters for isolation.

The City is also working closely with the State to re-purpose the Newton Pavilion site at Boston Medical Center. We will temporarily reopen it to meet the medical needs of homeless residents affected by coronavirus.  It will have a capacity of 250 beds. This facility is for medical care. 

To date, the City of Boston has secured close to 550 beds to make sure our residents experiencing homelessness are protected during the coronavirus public health emergency.

BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS:

As of March 30th, Boston Public Schools has distributed 22,161 Chromebooks to students who do not have consistent access to a computer at home.

The City of Boston, in partnership with Project Bread, YMCA of Greater Boston, Boston Centers for Youth and Families, and other community organizations, has served over 100,000 meals since last week, averaging 13,000 meals per day.

More information about how we’re supporting Boston Public School families can be found here.

Please view Related Posts for information on City  and State Services from prior updates.

City of Boston & State of MA Updates

COVID19 CASES as of March 28, 2020

The City of Boston has 614 positive cases of coronavirus (confirmed and presumptive). To date 40 of these 477 residents have fully recovered. There have been 2 COVID-19 related deaths in Boston residents.

Massachusetts has 4,257 positive cases of coronavirus (confirmed and presumptive) and 44 deaths reported at this time. 

COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS UPDATES

On Friday, March 27th, Governor Baker issued travel recommendations instructing all travelers entering the Commonwealth to self-quarantine for 14 days. The State is also asking people outside of Massachusetts not to travel here with the exception of first responders and front line workers. Information is being distributed at        port, South Station, truck stops, gas stations and highway signs.

On March 27th, the State announced that the tax filing deadline will be extended to July 15th to ease the financial burden on taxpayers during this ongoing state of emergency. Those with questions can call the Department of Revenue at 617-887-6367, or send a secure e-message. I (Senator Collins) had recently called on the DOR to delay the deadline and am glad that individuals and families will have more time to adapt to this rapidly changing financial reality. View Senator Collins Covid 19 Legislative Update in its entirety.

The State of Massachusetts has partnered with South End based Buoy Health: a free health assistance tool to provide medical advice remotely. Buoy Health is not a replacement for emergency care. It provides a free online diagnostic tool which screens for COVID19. Additional information can be found at buoy.com/mass.

On Tuesday, March 24th at noon, Governor Baker ordered all businesses and organizations that do not provide “COVID-19 Essential Services” to close their physical workplaces and facilities to workers, customers and the public as of Tuesday, March 24 at noon until Tuesday, April 7 at noon. A full list of “COVID-19 Essential Services” can be found here.

On March 24th, Governor Baker directed the Department of Public Health to issue a Stay at Home advisory outlining self-isolation and social distancing protocols. This advisory goes into effect as of Tuesday, March 24 at noon until Tuesday, April 7 at noon. The Order limits gatherings to 10 people during the state of emergency, a reduction from the 25-person limit established in an earlier order.

Residents are advised to stay home and avoid unnecessary travel and other unnecessary activities during this two-week time period.  Residents over 70 years of age or with underlying health conditions, who are considered at high risk when exposed to COVID-19, should limit social interactions with other people as much as possible.  

CITY OF BOSTON COVID 19 OPERATIONS

All essential City of Boston services such as public safety, public health and maintenance operations including street cleaning, parks maintenance, trash and recycling pick up, etc will continue to be in operation.

While City Hall is still open and running for critical operations, we discourage anyone from coming into City Hall or any municipal building unless they have an urgent need for services that cannot be done by phone or online. If you have questions about whether a department is open to the public, please call the City's hotline at 3-1-1 to get connected to a department.

The following departments have moved to by appointment only: 

• Registry
• Parking Clerk
• Age Strong
• Elections
• City Clerk 
• Assessing
• Collecting
• Bid counter for Public Facilities 
• Inspectional Services Department

If constituents would like to schedule an appointment at these departments, they should reach out via phone or email. Department contacts can be found on boston.gov. 

Residents are asked not to call 9-1-1 unless you are experiencing a medical emergency. All COVID-19 questions should be directed to the Mayor's Health Line at 617-534-5050 or 311. The City and BPHC will continue to provide updated information on bphc.org and boston.gov/coronavirus.

ZONING BOARD OF APPEAL / LICENSING BOARD APRIL HEARINGS

Please be advised that the following Zoning Board of Appeal April Hearings have been canceled due to the ongoing COVID19 Public Health Emergency:

• April 7th, 2020 ZBA Hearing
• April 16th, 2020 ZBA Subcommittee Hearing
• April 28th, 2020 ZBA Hearing

To mitigate the spread of COVID19, public access to the Inspectional Services Dept offices at 1010 Massachusetts Ave is restricted to appointment only. Applicants requesting relief of the zoning or building code, or anyone inquiring about upcoming hearings, should email ISDBoardOfAppeal@boston.gov or call 617-635-4775.

The City of Boston’s Licensing Board has canceled hearings until further notice. Any Licensing Board questions should be directed to the Board’s Executive Secretary, Lesley Delaney Hawkins, Esq., who can be reached at (617) 635-4170 or Lesley.hawkins@boston.gov.

FIRST RESPONDERS TESTING SITE AT SUFFOLK DOWNS

Mayor Walsh announced that the City of Boston will be opening a COVID19 testing site for Boston’s first responders at Suffolk Downs in East Boston. This testing site will serve qualified EMTs, firefighters, and police officers only. This is a joint effort between the Boston Public Health Commission and the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center. First responders will first be screened to make sure they meet the State criteria for testing. This is an important step to keep our first responders healthy. This facility will not be open to the public or media.

NEWTON PAVILION

The former Boston Medical Center hospital building known as the Newton Pavilion will be temporarily reopened and used to meet COVID-19 related medical needs of local homeless residents. Newton Pavilion is currently owned by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The facility will be operated by a consortium of providers, including Boston Medical Center, Boston Healthcare for the Homeless, shelters including the Pine Street Inn, and the City of Boston’s COVID-19 response team. The 250 hospital beds at this facility will be essential to relieving stress on our health care system and increasing medical care for our homeless population as we continue to respond to this public health crisis.

BOSTON TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT:

Click here for updates to parking enforcement policies, which are in effect until further notice in the City of Boston

HIRING BPHC POSITIONS

The City is actively hiring candidates for critical positions such as homeless counselors, recovery services, public health advocates and public safety officers. Please go to bphc.org for job listings. 

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Coronavirus: An Important Message To Residents From Mayor Walsh

Dear Residents,

This is a difficult time for our families, our friends, our neighborhoods and our communities. As a City, now is the time to come together, and look out for one another. I want to explain what the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic means for you and your family, and how you help stop the spread of the virus in Boston.

We’re urging people to exercise caution and take care of themselves. There are simple things everyone can do that will make a big difference:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
• Avoid shaking hands.
• Cover your coughs and sneezes into your elbow or with a tissue.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Please remember what social distancing involves: avoid crowds of any kind, and keep a distance of at least 6 feet from other people when you’re out.
• If you think you are sick, call your doctor or 311 to be connected to the Mayor’s Health Line. We’re asking people to call first, before going to the emergency rooms so our ERs don’t get overwhelmed.
• We’re also asking people not to call 911 unless they have a medical emergency. Boston EMS does not conduct testing for COVID-19.

What I want people to remember is that it’s not just about keeping yourself healthy. By taking these precautions, you’re also helping to keep our entire city healthy. And most importantly, you’re helping to keep the most vulnerable people in our community safe: especially the elderly, and people with underlying medical issues.

In Boston, we’re taking this situation extremely seriously. Boston Public Schools are closed until at least May 4th. A list of meal pick up locations is attached for families who need to pick up meals for their children. We are following Governor Baker’s statewide emergency order requiring all businesses and organizations that do not provide “COVID-19 Essential Services” to close their physical workplaces and facilities to workers, customers and the public as of Tuesday, March 24th at noon until Tuesday, April 7th at noon.

I thank everyone who’s helping us: the first responders and medical professionals, the families and neighbors, the teachers, the community leaders, and all who are showing what it means to be Boston strong. We’re doing all we can to keep Boston healthy and safe. On behalf of the city we love, thank you for doing your part.

Sincerely,

Mayor Walsh

Temporary Parking Changes You Will Want To Know

The Boston Transportation Department (BTD) is temporarily lifting certain parking restrictions. The following updates to parking enforcement policies are in effect until further notice in the City of Boston: 

Resident Parking Residents with a valid resident permit sticker will be allowed to park in a metered or two-hour parking space, without having to adhere to the time limit or pay a meter fee, within their specific neighborhood.

For cars without the relevant resident permit parking sticker, standard time limit and meter requirements remain in place. 

Street Cleaning
BTD has not been ticketing and towing for street cleaning, given challenges to finding alternative places to park in neighborhoods. 

INSPECTION STICKERS AND REGISTRATION
BTD will not ticket for expired inspection stickers or registrations, given potential challenges for people to renew inspections and registrations at this time.

Parking Garages 
To support the medical community, BTD has identified facilities offering free, reduced rate or reserved parking for medical professionals. To receive discounted parking, medical staff will need to present a hospital ID. See the list of participating facilities.

BlueBikes 
The City of Boston and its municipal partners of Brookline, Cambridge, Everett, and Somerville are offering all hospital staff a free 30-day pass for our public bike share, Bluebikes. Learn more about how to sign up for the program. 

PickUp / Drop-Off Zones for Small Businesses 
To help small businesses that have been impacted by COVID-19, BTD is creating temporary pick up zones in front of restaurants that have transitioned to takeout and delivery only. Takeout food pickup zones restrict parking to five minutes to increase convenience for the quick pickup and delivery of takeout food from restaurants, and provide adequate room for social distancing of six feet or more. Restaurants that would like to request a temporary pickup zone can do so online. Requests will be evaluated on a case by case basis. 

With the exception of those changes noted above, BTD will continue to enforce parking violations, with a focus on public safety violations, such as blocking a hydrant, sidewalk or handicap ramp.

State & City Announce New Measures In Response to COVID 19

On Wednesday, March 25th, The Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the City of Boston announced new measures in the fight against the spread of the coronavirus (COVID 19).

SCHOOLS

Governor Baker issued an emergency order requiring all K-12 schools and non-emergency childcare centers to stay closed throughout April and reopen no sooner than May 4th. Emergency childcare will continue throughout this time frame as well. This order expands on previous orders issued on March 15 and March 18 suspending normal educational operations at schools and non-emergency child care programs until April 6.

GROCERY STORES AND PHARMACIES

Governor Baker issued a new order requiring grocery stores and pharmacies to observe the following COVID19 Guidelines:

• Provide at least one hour per day of shopping for adults over 60-years-old.
• Offer sanitation options, such as hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes, as available, to clean shopping carts and points of frequent contact.
• Appropriate social distancing policies, including a marked “Social Distancing Line,” beginning six feet away from all checkout counters.
• Close any self-serve food stations
• Instruct store employees who are ill to stay home, and for stores to accommodate employees who fall in the high-risk category with alternative assignments to limit exposure.
• Grocery store and pharmacy employees shall not perform bagging of retail products if reusable checkout bags are used and customers at grocery stores and pharmacies shall not use reusable checkout bags until further notice.
• Grocery stores and pharmacies may not assess a charge for recyclable paper bags, compostable plastic bags or single-use plastic bags.  

BOSTON RESILIENCY FUND

Mayor Walsh launched the Boston Resiliency Fund which supports food access, technology to support at-home learning, and the needs of our healthcare workers and first responders, including childcare. We met our goal of $20 million after a little over a week of fundraising. We’re going to keep growing the fund, and 100% of the money will continue to serve these kinds of needs. For information on donating or applying for funds, visit boston.gov/coronavirus

$5.4 million in grants from this fund has been released to the following organizations:

Senior and Low-Income Food Providers: 

• The Greater Boston Food Bank which supplies and supports food pantries across the region. 
• Ethos which delivers Meals on Wheels to 8,000 seniors. This will allow it to serve more people.
• Fresh Truck which will work with partners to deliver fresh produce to households in need.
• Community Servings which provides healthy meals to critically ill people and their families. 
• Project Bread which is a statewide resource for people looking for food resources. 

Health Care for Vulnerable Populations:

• Boston Healthcare for the Homeless to assist them in screening, testing, and operating the new medical tents that we created near our shelters. 
• Boston Medical Center to care for patients, support staff, and sustain safe hospital operations
• Pine Street Inn to increase cleaning of their facilities and work with the Boston Public Health Commission to staff quarantine sites for the homeless.

BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS:

Boston Public Schools closure has been extended to May 4th following yesterday's announcement by Governor Baker. Boston Public Schools is partnering with Catie’s Closet to continue to provide wrap around care for families. Last year we announced free menstrual products for students and BPS will still have them available throughout the school closure. Catie’s Closet has supplied 500 toiletry packages to each of our 16 BPS emergency meal sites.  Learn more about meal distribution locations here.

TRANSPORTATION OFFERS FOR HEALTHCARE WORKERS

The City of Boston is working with commercial parking garages across Boston who are offering lower rates for medical staff. A comprehensive list of participating garages can be found here. 

BlueBikes will offer a 30-day, unlimited trip pass for $0 for hospital staff. Please note that bikes are disinfected regularly including high-touch areas such as handlebars and seatposts. More information can be found here.

EMERGENCY CHILDCARE OPTIONS

Emergency childcare programs are being made available to emergency workers on a limited basis who have no other option for childcare during this public health crisis. If possible, please arrange for your child to receive care in a non-group setting. 

Priority will be given to certain people, including but not limited to health care workers, essential state and human service workers, COVID-19 health workers, grocery store employees, emergency response personnel, law enforcement, transportation and infrastructure workers, sanitation workers, DCF-involved families, and families living in shelters.

A comprehensive list of options can be found here.

CONSTRUCTION UPDATE

Due to the public health emergency caused by the spread of COVID-19, Mayor Walsh announced that he is extending the City of Boston's order to pause non-essential construction for City of Boston permitted sites. The initial order announced on March 16th was set for 14 days and will now continue until further notice. Please see the (attached) updated temporary construction guidelines. Additional information can be found here. 

STAY INFORMED:

Receive The Latest COVID19 Information From Reliable Sources

• Visit the Boston Public Health Commission, COVID19 Cases Analytics and Mass.gov
• Call: 311 (Boston) or 211 (MA)
• Text BOSCOVID to 99411 for City Alerts and COVIDMA to 888-777

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