Supporting Immigrant & Refugee Communities:
Information, Relief Support, and Advocacy to
Respond to the COVID-19 Public Health Crisis
Working towards the well-being of our immigrant and refugee communities is at the core of what we do. We are aware that the COVID-19 public health crisis may be especially impactful on these communities, and we want to do everything we can to provide resources to support them in dealing with the challenges they may be facing.
The Refugees Welcome! team has compiled this list of informational resources, relief funds and other individual support, grants and relief funds for businesses and nonprofit organizations, and advocacy tools. We will be updating this list on an ongoing basis. If you are aware of any resources that you think we should add to this list, please fill out this form.
Information and Resource Lists
Relief Funds and Support for Individuals
Relief Funds and Grants for Organizations and Businesses
Advocacy and Organizing Tools
INFORMATION AND RESOURCE LISTS
- City of Boston’s COVID-19 Website You can find comprehensive and multilingual information at this site.
- City of Boston COVID-19 Resource Guide for Boston’s Immigrants
This page has information about services for Boston residents affected by COVID-19, regardless of immigration status. - The City of Boston and the Mayor’s Office of Language and Communications Access Resources:
- Fact Sheets on the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)
- Poster about preventing the spread of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)
- Mayor Walsh Letter
- Emergency Meal Sites
- Preventing the Spread of Coronavirus in Food Service Establishments from Inspectional Services Department
- City of Boston COVID-19 text messaging update system: For daily text message updates related to the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Boston, send a TEXT MESSAGE containing a KEYWORD below to 99-411. Please only use plain characters (no accents, etc.).
- BOSCOVID (English)
- BOSEspanol
- BOSFrancais
- BOSKreyol
- BOSkriolu
- BOSPortugues
- City of Boston COVID-19 web pages in 10 additional languages. For COVID-19 updates on the Boston.Gov website, please visit:
- English: boston.gov/covid-19
- Español | Spanish: boston.gov/covid-19-es
- 中文 | Chinese: boston.gov/covid-19-zh
- Kreyòl ayisyen | Haitian Creole: boston.gov/covid-19-hc
- Tiếng Việt | Vietnamese: boston.gov/covid-19-vi
- kriolu | Cape Verdean: boston.gov/covid-19-cv
- Русский | Russian: boston.gov/covid-19-ru
- العربية | Arabic: boston.gov/covid-19-ar
- Português | Portuguese: boston.gov/covid-19-pt
- Français | French: boston.gov/covid-19-fr
- Healthcare access for Undocumented Folks in the Time of COVID19
United We Dream’s list healthcare centers accessible to the undocumented community. - National and local COVID-19 resources for undocumented communities, a continuously updated crowd-sourced google doc
- Resources for Restaurants and Workers Coping with the COVID-19 Emergency
This page contains information, updates, relief funds, advocacy, news, and volunteering opportunities related to the restaurant industry. - MIRA Coalition, COVID-19: Protecting our families and communities
This page contains public health information, immigration policy and enforcement updates, and relief funds and resources. - Mass Legal Services COVID-19 Resources
This section focuses on legal issues related to COVID-19 that are of particular relevance to lower income people in Massachusetts. - Resources for Immigrants during the Coronavirus Crisis InformedImmigrant.com is dedicated to increasing access to resources and knowledge for the undocumented immigrant community across the U.S. We understand that these times are especially hard on immigrant communities dealing with the unique challenges of coronavirus and immigration status.
- Advice for renters and homeowners:
- For renters: If you are unable to pay your rent due to loss in income, please contact your landlord as soon as possible to make arrangements. Boston and Cambridge Housing Authorities have suspended evictions for their residents, and the Massachusetts Housing Court has halted evictions until April 21st.
- For homeowners: If you are unable to pay your mortgage due to loss in income, please contact your mortgage provider as soon as possible. A number of banks have posted their policies online. For those with government-backed mortgages, the Federal Housing Administration, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac have suspended foreclosures. For those with private lenders, there are mechanisms in place for borrowers experiencing an economic hardship that may enable you to reduce or suspend payments. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has a list of suggestions and resources that can be found on their website.
- The CFPB also has a dedicated page on COVID-19 to help you stay financially secure during this pandemic.
RELIEF FUNDS AND SUPPORT FOR INDIVIDUALS
- Information about filing for Unemployment Benefits
- Federal Disaster Unemployment Benefits The Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) program provides unemployment benefits to individuals who have become unemployed as a direct result of a Presidentially declared major disaster.
- Economic Assistance (Chas Benefits) The Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) offers economic assistance (cash benefits) programs to help families and individuals meet basic needs.
- MassUndocuFund
The MassUndocufund for COVID-19 relief in Massachusetts is Currently raising funds to assist the victims of COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused thousands of undocumented workers to lose their jobs and livelihood across the state. - Betancourt Macias Family Scholarship Foundation Emergency Funds
You may apply to this fund if you are undocumented yourself or have family members who are undocumented and have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. - One Fair Wage – Emergency Coronavirus and Tipped and Service Worker Support Fund
We’re providing cash assistance to restaurant workers, car service drivers, delivery workers, personal service workers and more who need the money they aren’t getting to survive. - Restaurant Workers Community Foundation RWCF COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund
A fund for restaurants and restaurant workers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. - Bartender Emergency Assistance Program
Grants for emergency assistance for bartenders and dependents of bartenders who have experienced a catastrophic event or emergency hardship and lack the ability to provide basic necessities. - Massachusetts Jobs with Justice Workers Emergency Relief Funds
Compiled by Massachusetts Jobs with Justice for workers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Workers should apply for these funds regardless of immigration status. - Cambridge COVID-19 Emergency Fund
Grants forCambridge residents, nonprofits, and small businesses experiencing financial crises. Applicants must be Cambridge residents – or people whose main source of income emanates from Cambridge – Cambridge organizations with 501c3 status, or small businesses in our community with demonstrated loss of opportunity or income. To be clear, individuals or groups can apply to this fund; 501c3 status is not a requirement. - United Way COVID-19 Fund United Way has established the COVID-19 Family Support Fund, a dedicated resource for working families affected by the COVID-19 public health emergency. We will mobilize our broad network of nonprofit agencies throughout the region to provide a flexible source of cash assistance to help families weather the COVID-19 crisis. These agencies have a proven and long track record of working with United Way to administer flexible emergency assistance for families impacted by income disruption. Grants will be made to help families impacted by the COVID-19 crisis meet their basic food, childcare or housing needs.
- COVID-19 Mutual Aid Networks
Communities Across the Commonwealth are Springing into action to help our neighbors. Mutual aid is a powerful way to build strong connections- we all have something to offer and we all have something we need. - Food Resources:
- Boston Public Schools Food distribution for families with school aged children.
- Project Bread Hotline Help finding food resources. 1-800-645-8333
- YMCA of Greater Boston Food distribution for school aged children available 8-12 Monday-Friday. Call your local branch to double check hours.
- Internet Access
- Comcast Internet Essentials You may be eligible for free internet services for two months if you are eligible for public benefits such as SNAP, free school lunches, housing assistance, SSI, or MassHealth; if you do not owe any debts to Comcast; and if you live in the Comcast service area, but have not had an active Comcast account in the last 90 days.
- Internet from PCsForPeople This program is not free, but three prepaid plans are available for those 200% or below of the federal poverty level OR who are currently enrolled in an income-based government assistance program (for example, SNAP, TANF, free/reduced lunch, Section 8, SSI). Customers must show a photo ID and proof of eligibility.
RELIEF FUNDS AND GRANTS FOR ORGANIZATIONS AND BUSINESSES
- Boston Resiliency Fund
The emerging priorities of the Boston Resiliency Fund are to provide food for children and seniors, technology for remote learning for students, and support to first responders and healthcare workers in the City of Boston. - Massachusetts Nonprofit Network: Corona Virus and Massachusetts Nonprofits
A summary of policies that affect nonprofits as well as philanthropic and government relief funds. - Community Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts
The Southcoast Emergency Response Fund has been established by the Community Foundation in partnership with other regional funders, to rapidly attract and deploy resources to organizations in our region that are disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This Fund will prioritize those areas of impact that will not likely receive governmental support, are most severely affected, and those serving our most vulnerable neighbors. - Cambridge COVID-19 Emergency Fund
Grants forCambridge residents, nonprofits, and small businesses experiencing financial crises. Applicants must be Cambridge residents – or people whose main source of income emanates from Cambridge – Cambridge organizations with 501c3 status, or small businesses in our community with demonstrated loss of opportunity or income. To be clear, individuals or groups can apply to this fund; 501c3 status is not a requirement. - Rapid Response: Racism is a Virus Too
The Nellie Mae Education Foundation created this rapid response fund to respond to the hate crimes and bias against Asian American communities resulting from COVID-19. The Foundation has allocated resources for the Racism is a Virus Too rapid response grant fund to support Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) that provide services for AAPI communities. - Philanthropy Massachusetts Disaster and Emergency Relief Resources
This will serve as an ongoing resource page for funders with ways to respond to natural disasters and other calls for emergency relief. - Restaurant Strong Fund
The Greg Hill Foundation has teamed up with Samuel Adams to support those from the Massachusetts restaurant industry who have been impacted by the Covid-19 closures. Our goal is to provide $1,000 grants to as many qualifying grantees as possible. - Restaurant Workers Community Foundation RWCF COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund
A fund for restaurants and restaurant workers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. - Grants and Resources for Artists and Nonprofits
A list of national and local funds that will support artists, small businesses, and nonprofit organizations.
ADVOCACY AND ORGANIZING TOOLS
- Detention Watch Network #FreeThemAll:Toolkit to Support Local Demands for Mass Release of People in ICE Custody
- MIRA’s Agenda for an Inclusive Response to COVID-19 This page discusses the focus of MIRA’s advocacy, a direct reflection of members’ urgent priorities and concerns.
- Community and Mutual Aid COVID-19 Response This course provides organizers with a system of providing community and mutual aid in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Advocacy Groups Step Up Efforts To Free Health-Compromised Immigrants In Detention Centers
Kaiser Health News compiled a brief list of ways advocacy groups are stepping up efforts to free health-compromised immigrants in detention centers amid fears that COVID-19 could spread quickly in densely populated detention facilities.