May 2020 COVID-19 Information Sharing Edition
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In this edition:
- Additional Food Hub Locations Open in Windsor-Essex
- Windsor Water World Day Program
- Families Supporting Families Initiative
- Transit Windsor Service Update
- Windsor-Essex Counselling Support Line
- Essential Worker Registry
- Windsor-Essex Seniors Call Assurance Program
- Personal Protective Equipment for Community Agencies
- Support for Families in Ontario
- Ontario Extends Public School Closures until May 31
- Ontario Providing Relief to the Province's Most Vulnerable
- Ontario Announces More Front Line Staff Eligible for Emergency Child Care
- Federal Government Announces further Support to Vulnerable Canadians
- Community Helplines in Windsor-Essex
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Additional Food Hub Locations Open
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The Windsor Essex Food Bank Association has recently opened 2 new locations in Essex-County:
BELLE RIVER
Community Support Centre of Essex County
Community Food Pantry
962 Old Tecumseh Rd., Puce, ON N0R 1A0
P: 519-728-1435
DRIVE THRU OPEN: Monday & Wednesday 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM
LEAMINGTON
Salvation Army Leamington
88 Setterington St., Leamington, ON, N8H 1T6
P: 519-326-0319
DRIVE THRU/WALK-UP OPEN: Friday & Saturday 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM
The Windsor Essex Food Bank Association also has 2 locations open in Windsor:
WEST WINDSOR
St. Michael's Adult Secondary School
477 Detroit St., Windsor, ON N9C 2P6
DRIVE THRU/WALK-UP OPEN: Tuesday & Thursday 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM
West Windsor Hub operations overseen by Windsor Family Homes and Community Partnerships and the Kids First Food Bank.
EAST WINDSOR
Unemployed Help Centre of Windsor Inc.
6955 Cantelon Dr., Windsor, ON N8T 3J9
P: 519-944-4900
DRIVE THRU/WALK-UP OPEN: Monday, Wednesday, & Friday 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM
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R
esidents in Windsor-Essex County in financial need and seeking emergency food help can also call the
Windsor Essex COVID Care Coalition’s Food Assistance Helpline:
1-888-488-1578
They will be connected with one of the food hubs, or another food support that meets their needs.
The Helpline is available
Monday through Friday
from
8:30 AM – 8:30 PM
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Windsor Water World Day Program
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The City of Windsor
, in partnership with a variety of community agencies, has opened a
day program
at the former Windsor Water World location
. The day program
provides those experiencing homelessness in Windsor with access to a safe space during the day
. Onsite support staff include CommUnity Partnership, a Pathway to Potential partner, as well as the Canadian Mental Health Association and the Family Services Windsor-Essex Street Outreach Team.
Light refreshments and activities will also be offered, while respecting physical distancing requirements.
Location: 400 Wyandotte Street East
Operating Hours: Daily 9 AM – 7 PM
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Families Supporting Families Initiative
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The City of Windsor, through Pathway to Potential, and local foundations partners provided $100 grocery gift cards to approximately 3,500 low-income families with children.
The Solcz Family Foundation and the Windsor Spitfires “Family” each provided $100,000 to purchase grocery store gift cards that will be used by local families with children in the Ontario Works (OW) program.
Funding from the City of Windsor, through Pathway to Potential, the WindsorEssex Community Foundation, and support from the Ontario government's Social Services Relief Fund brought the total for the Families Supporting Families initiative to $355,000. This funding allowed for the purchase of
$100 grocery store gift cards for each registered family with children on OW
;
helping approximately 3,500 families
.
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Transit Windsor Service Update
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Transit Windsor resumed service on Monday, May 4th
. City service is
operating on an enhanced “Sunday” schedule only until May 31st
. The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) has provided a series of
recommendations and advice
for Transit Windsor as well as local transit users.
Click here
to read the full COVID-19 update.
The
Affordable Pass Program
is accepting applications. Information regarding program eligibility and APP Application forms can be found on the Transit Windsor
web page
.
Applications can be completed and mailed to:
Transit Windsor
3700 North Service Road East
Windsor, Ontario N8W 5X2
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Windsor-Essex Counselling Support Line
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Counselling Support Line (WECSL)
to help people in the community access professional counselling support services. The Support Line is available to the community starting Wednesday, April 15.
“Worry and anxiety are common problems at the best of times,” says Joyce Zuk, Executive Director of Family Services Windsor-Essex and counselling lead agency for the Coalition. “As the impact of COVID-19 in the Windsor-Essex community and the need for physical isolation that can then result in social isolation continues, these feelings can become overwhelming.”
The WECSL is a temporary support line set up to provide timely, safe and responsive telephone counselling support to people who are having difficulty coping effectively at this time. The confidential support line is available to everyone in Windsor and Essex County, including individuals, couples, seniors and families. Talking with a counsellor can help reduce feelings of sadness, anger, fear, and anxiety that have developed as a result of, or been intensified by the current COVID-19 pandemic. The Support Line can also help people learn new coping skills to manage these feelings.
The Windsor Essex Counselling Support Line offers professional counsellors who are members of the Ontario College of Social Workers and who are experienced in providing personal counselling services.
The WECSL will operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
To access the helpline, people can call 519-946-3277 or 1-877-451-1055.
Counselling is offered in English and French and translation services are also available
. More information on the Support Line services being offered can be found at
www.weareunited.com/GetHelp
#TalkToUsWE
.
The Support Line is meant to assist people experiencing mild to moderate distress. Individuals with severe mental health conditions or experiencing a crisis should call the Community Crisis Centre (24/7) at 519-973-4435, or for emergencies call 911.
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Essential Workers Registry
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The City of Windsor and WorkForce Windsor Essex
launched
an Essential Workers Registry.
As part of the Windsor-Essex COVID Care Coalition, Workforce WindsorEssex will collect resumes for an Essential Worker Registry to link unemployed individuals to available essential service positions, as defined by the Province of Ontario.
The City’s Employment & Training Services (ETS) department will further collaborate with Workforce WindsorEssex to enhance the existing WeSkills Database to assist essential businesses who are struggling to find employees as a result of COVID-19.
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Seniors Call Assurance Program
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The
Windsor-Essex COVID Care Coalition
is launching the Windsor-Essex Seniors Call Assurance program (WESCAP) to provide outreach and social support to seniors in isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Seniors can sign up for the program by calling
(877) 771-2677 from Monday to Friday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.
WESCAP will be available to seniors who are 55 or older starting Monday, April 20.
“Seniors in our community are not only at the highest risk of poor health due to the COVID-19 crisis, but they are also much more likely to be negatively affected by increased social isolation measures,” says Lorraine Goddard, CEO of United Way/Centraide Windsor-Essex County. “These funds help us ensure that while vulnerable seniors are isolated, they are also supported.”
Seniors who call the program phone number will be referred to an organization in their neighbourhood to receive a security check call within three days of the initial request. Alzheimer Society of Windsor-Essex County, Amherstburg Community Services, Community Support Centre of Essex County, Life After Fifty, South Essex Community Council, The Hospice of Windsor and Essex County. and VON Windsor have joined forces to offer WESCAP.
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PPE for Community Agencies
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Windsor-Essex County community agencies in urgent need of Personal Protective Equipment can place an order by visiting the
Ontario Health West PPE
website.
Select from the
Erie St. Clair LHIN Hub
to access the form.
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While schools and childcare centres are closed,
parents can apply for direct funding
to offset the cost of buying materials to support their children’s learning, while they practice self-isolation and physical distancing.
Eligible parents will receive a one-time per child payment of:
- $200 for children aged 0 to 12 or
- $250 for children or youth aged 0 to 21 with special needs
This funding can help parents with the costs of work books, educational apps, educational subscription services, movies and other tools to support learning at home. Visit the website and learn how to apply
here.
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Ontario Extends Public School Closures
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The province of Ontario
announced
that
public schools will remain closed until May 31
to protect the safety of students and families. The Ministry of Education has rolled out the Learn at Home portal to continue online learning for students. To make learning at home more accessible for children in need, Ontario has partnered with Rogers Communications and Apple to purchase and distribute iPads equipped with Rogers LTE data.
Over 20,000 iPads have been sent to targeted families in need
. Rogers internet will be provided until the end of June.
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Ontario Providing Relief to Most Vulnerable
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The province is investing:
- $11 million in the Ontario Community Support Program to expand existing Meals on Wheels services. The program will also develop the capacity of community organizations and others to help deliver medication and other essentials.
- $40 million in the Residential Relief Fund. The funding will assist developmental services, child welfare, victim’s shelters, and organizations delivering social services to vulnerable First Nations individuals and families with COVID-related costs.
- $148 million to municipal partners that administer social services with funding to support the province's most vulnerable.
The province will also be issuing the first
doubled Guaranteed Annual Income System (GAINS) payments for seniors.
Individuals will receive up to $166 per month and couples will receive up to $332 per month, continuing for six months.
Read the full news release
here
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Emergency Child Care for Front Line Staff
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The Ontario government expanded the list of essential workers eligible to receive emergency childcare.
The emergency order will offer support to those providing a variety of critical services; some of them include:
- Staff that assist vulnerable communities
- Staff working in homeless shelters
- More health and safety workers
- Workers in grocery stores and pharmacies
- Workers in retirement homes
A list of emergency child care centres is available
here
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Support for Vulnerable Canadians
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The Prime Minister
announced
an Emergency Community Support Fund of $350 million to support vulnerable Canadians
through charities and non-profit organizations that deliver essential services to those in need.
The fund will flow to local organizations that meet the needs of vulnerable populations and will support several activities, such as increasing volunteer-based home deliveries of groceries and medications, providing transportation services, and helping vulnerable Canadians access government benefits.
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Community Helplines in Windsor-Essex
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Municipal Social Investment Efforts
City of Windsor
Stephen Lynn
519-255-5200 ext. 5302
p2p@citywindsor.ca
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