Easthampton COVID-19 Resources

Every effort is being made to ensure this document is as up-to-date as possible. Please check with the original sources to confirm.

General Information

Food and Meal Services

  • Families can access free bagged breakfast and lunch for children 0-18 at Easthampton High School. On Mondays and Wednesdays, families will receive 2 days worth of meals and on Fridays, they will receive meals for Fri., Sat. and Sunday.

  • If you are unable to pick up meals from the High School, there is a home delivery option by calling 413-575-1565.

  • SNAP Food Assistance: If you need assistance determining eligibility and would like to apply over the phone for SNAP/Food Stamps, please contact the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, Inc. at 413-247-9738, or www.foodbankwma.org/

  • Easthampton Community Center’s Outdoor/Mobile Food Bank Monday & Wednesday from 9am-12pm & 4pm-7pm at 33 Adams Street or call # 413-527-5240 for assistance

  • FoodSource Hotline - Project Bread's toll-free FoodSource Hotline is the only comprehensive statewide information and referral service in Massachusetts for people facing hunger. To find food resources in your community, call the FoodSource Hotline: 1-800-645-8333; TTY 1-800-377-1292

  • Council on Aging grocery delivery service for people over age 55. Call (413) 527-6151, provide the staff with a grocery list, and a member of the Council on Aging team will arrange for the items to be purchased and delivered. The team member will provide a receipt, and the person in need will be required to write a check for that amount at the time of delivery.

Easthampton Public Schools

  • Easthampton Public Schools are closed through May 4th. For all updates, visit the Easthampton Public Schools page. Families can access free bagged breakfast and lunch for children 0-18 at Easthampton High School. On Mondays and Wednesdays, families will receive 2 days worth of meals and on Fridays, they will receive meals for Fri., Sat. and Sunday.

  • MCAS testing is cancelled for the 2019-2020 school year.

  • Families needing technology support should contact their child’s principal for device and internet access support.

Emergency Financial Assistance / Mutual Aid

Elder Care Resources

  • Home Delivered Meals – the Easthampton Council on Aging is working with state agencies and private organizations to provide food and meal services to people 55 years and older. Please call the Council on Aging for more information:

MassHealth

  • All COVID-19 related updates for MassHealth can be found here: https://www.mass.gov/coronavirus-disease-covid-19-and-masshealth

  • MassHealth will cover all coronavirus testing and treatment

  • MassHealth is allowing early refills and 90-day supplies of medicine 

  • MassHealth will cover telemedicine and has expanded telehealth and telephonic services 

  • If you meet the income standard, need COVID-19 testing, and do not have health insurance, you will be automatically enrolled in MassHealth

  • MassHealth has expanded insurance eligibility for uninsured residents who turn up at hospitals with an illness 

Transportation

  • PVTA routes are running for essential trips only, and the Nashawannuck Express is still running

    • PVTA is providing transportation for ESSENTIAL TRIPS ONLY.

    • PVTA highly recommends all passengers wear a medical or cloth mask to cover their mouth and nose as recommended by the CDC while on board the PVTA.

    • Riders must be travelling to an essential destination. All riders are required to exit the bus at the end of its route and may not re-board the same vehicle for a return trip. Multiple or consecutive round trips are not permitted and riders who appear to be loitering on the bus will be asked to deboard.

  • Council on Aging provides on-call transit services, one rider at a time, or required doctor visits only.

Registry of Motor Vehicles

All COVID-19 updates from the RMV can be found here: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/rmv-covid-19-information

The Massachusetts RMV will implement a 60-day extension to the current expiration date for Class D, Class DMs, ID cards, and Learner’s Permits within the RMV system. All customers with expired/expiring credentials physically dated between March 1, 2020 and April 30, 2020, will continue to have an active status within the RMV system until sixty (60) days after the expiration date printed. 

Small Businesses

  • Easthampton Board of Health orders for small businesses

  • Under the State of Massachusetts' new emergency order all businesses and organizations that do not provide "COVID-19 Essential Services" are required 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. These businesses are encouraged to continue operations remotely. Businesses with questions on what is deemed essential are encouraged to view the State's guidance on essential businesses. If the function of a business is not listed in the State's directory, but a business believes that it is essential or it is an entity providing essential services or functions, businesses may call the local board of health for guidance, or request designation as an essential business. This is available through the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and can be applied for online.

Unemployment

  • Apply for Unemployment online. Instructions via video: https://www.masslegalhelp.org/employment-unemployment/ui-apply. To apply over the phone, call 1-617-626-6800 or 1-877-626-6800.

  • The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development (EOLWD) and the Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA), in coordination with the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL), continue to take actions to assist workers and employers related to COVID-19. If you need to file for unemployment, please file online. The requirements have been relaxed to make sure you can get your unemployment benefits during this time as fast as possible.

  • You no longer need to attend a seminar at a MassHire career center

  • Deadlines missed due to effects of COVID-19 may be excused

  • Employers whose businesses are severely impacted by COVID-19 can request extensions for filing and paying unemployment contributions

  • “Worksearch” requirements will be made to allow people affected by COVID-19 to collect benefits

  • If you're denied, you can access an appeal hearing by telephone

  • You may still get unemployment benefits if you're quarantined due to an order by a civil authority or medical professional, or if you've left your work due to reasonable risk of exposure or infection or to care for a family member. You don't need to provide medical documentation and only have to be available for work when and as you're able

  • Find COVID-19 related changes to the unemployment rules here: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/massachusetts-covid-19-unemployment-information

Family Violence & Assault

  • ANY PERSON VISITING THESE WEBSITES MAY HAVE THEIR SEARCH HISTORIES TRACKED

  • Any person experiencing family violence or danger can reach services by dialing 2-1-1

  • SafeLink 24/7 Crisis Hotline: (877) 785-2020; 24/7 Crisis Hotline: (877) 521-2601 (TTY)

  • National Domestic Violence Hotline, 24/7 Crisis Hotline: (800) 799-7233

  • National Sexual Assault Hotline, 24/7 Crisis Hotline: (800) 656-4673

  • Safe Passage Northampton hotline advocates can provide support, resources, and assistance with safety planning for survivors of domestic violence. 

    • Local Hotline:(413) 586-5066

    • Toll-Free (888) 345-5282

Child Care

Emergency Child Care Providers are available for people including but not limited to health care workers, essential state and human service workers, COVID-19 health workers, grocery store or pharmacy employees, emergency response personnel, law enforcement, transportation and infrastructure workers, sanitation workers, DCF-involved families, and families living in shelters. Please contact an emergency child care program only if you require emergency or back-up drop-in care. To slow the spread of the coronavirus, all families should keep children out of group care settings to the greatest extent possible. Emergency Child Care Programs are for when all other non-group-care settings have been exhausted and families have no other options. For further guidance regarding the definition of essential workers, please see COVID-19 Essential Services issued by the Governor.

Family Activities

Health & Wellness

  • Hampshire Regional YMCA is closed until May 4th. However, they have a full schedule of virtual activities available here: HR YMCA Online Wellness Programs

  • Call2Talk is a mental health, emotional support, and suicide prevention program run by Mass211. Text C2T to 741741 or call 508-532-2255

  • MassHealth members can get mental health or substance use disorder treatment over the phone, via live video, or through other telehealth platforms. To find a provider in your area, visit the new Network of Care website at www.massachusetts.networkofcare.org. If you or a loved one is struggling with a substance use disorder, you can also call the Department of Public Health’s helpline at (800) 327-5050.

Housing