SF Bay Area COVID-19 Resources
If there are any resources you’d like to see added to this list, please send an email to parivarbayarea@gmail.com.
Food Relief
California Association of Food Banks: Find a food bank or food assistance program in your zip code.
CalFresh: Apply for the CalFresh nutrition program (formerly known as the Food Stamp Program).
Che Fico Free Meals: Anyone can sign up for free meals for pickup in San Francisco.
City of San Francisco Food Resources
San Francisco Unified School District: Free meals for SFUSD students during school closures.
SF - Free breakfast/lunch/dinner during school closures, for families w/ children
General Financial Relief
A Just East Bay Response Fund: This fund will provide one-time general operating grants to organizations that provide critical services around economic security to the most vulnerable populations in the East Bay.
Berkeley Relief Fund: Berkeley City Council has approved $3 million for emergency relief grants to small businesses, nonprofit arts organizations, and residential tenants, that are hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic
General COVID-19 Resources
API Equality - Northern California (APIENC) COVID-19 Response
Bay Rising - PREPARING FOR CORONAVIRUS CRISIS: AS ORGANIZERS, IT’S TIME TO DO WHAT WE DO BEST: Resources for organizers, workers, employers, and people experiencing homelessness.
Berkeley Mutual Aid: A platform to help neighbors connect during the Coronavirus pandemic so that no one in our community has to face this crisis alone.
C19 Help Squad (get help): If you have suffered hardship due to the coronavirus and you need supplies, help with transportation, help paying utilities, or have other needs due to the recent pandemic please fill out this form.
Coronavirus Resource Kit: This kit is a collectivized document that will be updated as more mutual aid projects and resources appear online. Most of these resources are from survivors, those marginalized by state violence, and from disabled, queer, elderly, Asian, and indigenous people.
East Oakland DREAMers is committed to supporting the migrant community in the bay area by bridging together community resources, information, and funds. You can also apply or look for more resources on their Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/eodreamers
Equality Labs COVID-19 Community Guides: A community health guide to understanding the coronavirus. Available in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada, Punjabi, Urdu, Nepali, Burmese, Bengali, and Marathi.
Family Resources from SF Unified School District: Info about getting access to technology, childcare, meals and more.
Half Assed Disabled Prepper Tips for Preparing for a Coronavirus Quarantine - by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha
Oakland COVID-19 Updates from City of Oakland
San Francisco City and County COVID-19 Resources and Updates
San Mateo County Pride Center: Compiled resources on everything from legal services, housing, health and wellness, job search, transportation, veterans, mental health, and more.
San Mateo County COVID-19 Resources
Social Distancing and Crip Survival: A Disability Centered Response to COVID-19
Healthcare, Medical, and Mental Health Resources
Alameda County Health Care for the Homeless: Healthcare and COVID-19 testing for those who are homeless.
City and County of San Francisco Resources: one-stop City resources and information, including how to get tested in San Francisco. Text COVID19SF to phone number 888-777 for updates.
Covered California: Enroll anytime for healthcare through Covered California.
COVID-19 Testing by Project Baseline: Verily's Project Baseline is working to deliver COVID-19 testing initially in select counties in the Bay Area to the highest risk populations as defined by the California Department of Public Health.
Online 12-Step Meetings (East Bay)
Online 12-Step Meetings (SF and Marin)
LGBTQ Perinatal Wellness Center: perinatal/birth support, counseling, clinical care, and more for LGBTQ folks.
Medi-Cal: Healthcare coverage for low-income adults, families with children, seniors, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, children in foster care and former foster youth up to age 26.
SF Night Ministry Care Line & Gatherings: Our Care Line is for everyone: 415) 441-0123, 10PM – 4AM (PST). Tuesday Gathering will meet virtually, every Tuesday evening from 6PM – 7:30PM. To join, call (978) 990-5000, then enter access code 298478#.
Stress Relief for Caregivers & Kids During COVID-19: Recommendations from the California Surgeon General
The Trevor Project - Trevor Lifeline (call 1-866-488-7386), TrevorChat (click to chat with a counselor online), and TrevorText (text START to 678678): These are all resources for LGBTQ+ folks to receive crisis counseling and support.
Validation Station: Sign up to get trans-affirming text messages sent to your mobile device!
UC Berkeley Greater Good Magazine
UCSF Resources to Support Your Mental Health During the COVID-19 Outbreak
Housing and Utilities Resources
Any county: Call 211 if you are in need of housing
Centro Legal de La Raza: Housing and workers’ rights support during the COVID-19 crisis.
East Bay Community Law Center Housing Services
Emergency Rent & Housing Assistance from the Oakland LGBTQ Center: This fund will allow the Center to provide emergency rental assistance, to low-income individuals and families, living in Oakland and Alameda County
Eviction Defense Center Oakland: The Eviction Defense Center ("EDC") provides free and low-cost legal services to tenants facing eviction in Alameda County and the City of Richmond. All services are offered on a sliding scale basis.
Keep Oakland Housed: Emergency financial assistance, legal representation, and other support services.
Our Trans Home SF: A coalition working to address homelessness and housing instability impacting Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming (TGNC) people in the San Francisco Bay Area and providing COVID-19 support.
PG&E Stops Shutoffs for Non-Payment
Resources and News for Tenants During the COVID-19 Emergency: Resources from Bay Area Legal Aid with ways to protect yourself if you can’t pay rent on time due to COVID-19, what to do if you receive an eviction notice, tenants’ rights helpline, and more.
SF Temporary Eviction Moratorium Info: SF landlords cannot legally evict a tenant who is unable to pay rent due to COVID-19 financial losses. This resource includes a sample letter to send to landlord to inform them of the inability to pay rent due to COVID-19 financial losses.
Industry-Specific Resources and Financial Relief
Bay Area Leather Lifeline: A fund to help kinksters and leather folk in the SF Bay Area who need immediate help during the COVID-19 crisis.
Bartender Emergency Assistance Program (for bartender or child/spouse of bartender): Grant assistance for bartenders, their spouses, and/or their children.
Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grants COVID-19 Fund: A temporary fund to meet the needs of experimental artists who have been impacted by the economic fallout from postponed or canceled performances and exhibitions.
Freelance Artist Resource: An aggregated list of FREE resources, opportunities, and financial relief options available to artists of all disciplines.
National Domestic Workers Alliance Coronavirus Care Fund: Emergency assistance for domestic workers.
National LGBT Elder Housing Initiative: Resources about housing rights and training for eldercare facilities on being LGBT-competent.
The Oakland Food Service Workers COVID-19 Relief Fund: PRIORITY WILL BE GIVEN TO: BLACK, INDIGENOUS AND OTHER POC, UNDOCUMENTED, UNHOUSED, DISABLED, LGBTQIA+, OAKLAND/BAY AREA NATIVE FOLKS.
One Fair Wage Emergency Fund: 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 during the COVID-19 crisis.
Opera San Jose Artists and Music Relief Fund: an emergency cash reserve to provide support to the musicians, singers, carpenters, stitchers, designers and other hourly company members that make our productions possible and will be deeply affected by COVID-19.
RaceBaitr COVID-19 Writer Relief Application: Provides a one-time $500 gift to a Black writer or artist who demonstrates a need during this time.
Restaurant Opportunities Centers United: Resources for restaurant workers during the COVID-19 crisis.
Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation: Information and links to resources that will help restaurants and workers deal most effectively with the COVID-19 Emergency.
San Francisco Arts Relief Fund: The San Francisco Arts Commission and Grants for the Arts has loans and grants available.
SF Queer Nightlife Fund: The purpose of this fund is to provide financial relief to workers in the nightlife industry for as long as the current crisis continues - apply to both give or get assistance.
U.S.-based Sex Worker Harm Reduction Resources
Writers’ Emergency Fund: To assist fiction and non-fiction authors, poets, playwrights, screenwriters, translators, and journalists.
Legal Resources
AIDS Legal Referral Panel: Immigration legal support for those living with HIV/AIDS.
California Immigrant Youth Justice Alliance: COVID-19 Resources for Undocumented Californians
Centro Legal de la Raza: COVID-19 resources
Legal Aid At Work: a nonprofit legal services organization that has been assisting low-income, working families for more than 100 years.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services - check the status of a case or asylum appointment.
LGBTQ+ Specific Resources
7 Cups LGBTQ+ Chat Room and Support Online: Chat online with LGBTQ active listeners for support
AsylumConnect COVID-19 Outreach Sharing Toolkit: Free verified LGBTQ+ affirming services, including: drop-in centers for LGBTQ youth, libraries, hygiene items, affirming medical care, trans support groups, and mental health hotlines.
City and County of San Francisco LGBTQ Resource Page
COVID-19 Relief - SF Bay Area LGBTQ Community Needs Signup: Fill out this form if you need financial support, groceries/essential supplies, medications picked up, and/or wellness and peer support.
Gender Spectrum: Online groups for gender-diverse pre-teens, teens, and parents/caregivers/family members of gender-diverse youth.
Horizons Foundation COVID-19 Emergency Response: Emergency funds for LGBTQ+ organizations.
LGBT National Help Center: Free and confidential peer support, information, and resources. Call the LGBT National Hotline at (888) 843-4564.
LYRIC- LYRIC’s mission is to build community and inspire positive social change through education enhancement, career trainings, health promotion, and leadership development with LGBTQQ youth, their families, and allies of all races, classes, genders, and abilities. Services available during COVID include: Mental Health/Psycho-Social Support Groups, Workforce Development/Paid Internships, and Safety Net Services. Details at http://lyric.org/covid-19/
OurTown SF: A Facebook page for LGBTQ+ Bay Area organizers to communicate. More COVID-19 resources from OurTown can be found here.
SF Coronavirus LBGTQ+ Resource List: Updated information about LGBTQ+ related services and programs in the Bay Area that are available during shelter-in-place.
SF LGBT Center: The SF LGBT Center is still operating the Referral Program from Monday-Friday 9 am-6 pm. If folks want assistance navigating resources or getting connected, they can call or email info@sfcenter.org or 415.865.5661.
San Francisco Human Rights Commission LGBTQ Community Survey
Transgender Law Center Virtual Community Gatherings: Our communities are only as strong as the circles of care we create. Let’s use this opportunity to provide a space of solace, political education, and resource sharing.
Resources for Seniors and the Elderly
Bay Area Senior/Disability/Worker Mutual Aid Form - from Senior and Disability Action, Bay Resistance & others
LGBT National Senior Hotline: Call (888) 234 - 7243 for confidential peer support, information, local resources, and more. For LGBT folks age 50+.
Meals on Wheels: Provides meals to seniors through local food distribution centers. Search for a meal in your zip code by clicking the link.
Raley’s Senior Essentials Bags: Intended for seniors and at-risk customers in self-isolation or quarantine. There is a $20 bag with perishable and nonperishable foods, or a $35 bag with pre-made meals.
Santa Clara County Senior Nutrition Program: The Senior Nutrition Program offers pre-packed and to-go hot lunches at the centers listed.
30th Street Senior Center (415-550-2210), and Castro Senior Center (415-863-3507) are providing pick-up meal service for seniors and disabled adults.
Unemployment and Other Benefits
Disaster Unemployment Assistance
Disability Insurance: If you are unable to work because you have been exposed to COVID-19, you can apply for disability insurance.
File for Unemployment in CA: Video tutorials for how to file an unemployment claim are available in English, Spanish, Cantonese, Vietnamese, and Mandarin.
You can file an unemployment insurance claim over the phone Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 12 PM:
English: 1-800-300-5616
Spanish: 1-800-326-8937
Cantonese: 1-800-547-3506
Mandarin: 1-866-303-0706
Vietnamese: 1-800-547-2058
TTY: 1-800-815-9387
More COVID-19 Specific Info from US Department of Labor: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/flsa/pandemic
Worker Resources offered at Oakland American Jobs Centers of California: A variety of worker services including basic information, job search, job placement and training services.