Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Colorado: State & National Resources

Last Updated: 12/11/20

This is a running document that will continue to be updated by the Colorado Young Advocates. Please email YI’s Rocky Mountain Engagement Manager if you have any questions or additional resources you would like added: Cameron.Vigil@younginvincibles.org

Back to school tips for college students

FAFSA Application

COVID vaccine resources

• Know Your Rights
  • Conozca sus derechos (Spanish translation)
• Frequently Asked Questions
  • Preguntas frecuentes (Spanish translation)
• Trusted resources
  • Lista de fuentes de confianza (Spanish translation)

#DoingMyPartCO

• If you did not see this hashtag as of yet, please start using it in those instances where you or someone you know is “doing my part” to stop the spread of coronavirus or finding a way to better yourself at this time.

For Colorado College Students

• Our partners at the Colorado Department of Higher Education put together a webpage which summarizes many resources available to campuses including state guidance to IHEs, accreditation, changes to institutional practices, and much more. They. also provide links to institution/campus webpages on COVID-19 information
• Moving discounts

Emergency Grants for Colorado College Students

*Please reach out to your institution directly if you do not see your college listed*

• Loving Link Fund – CU Denver
• Student Emergency Funds – CU Boulder
• Student Emergency Aid – Community College of Denver
• ACC CARES Act Emergency Grant – Arapahoe Community College
• Student Emergency Funds – Aims Community College
• Grizzle Persistence Aid – Adams State University
• CARES Act Emergency Student Grant – Aurora Community College
• Student Assistance Fund – University of Denver
• CARES Act Student Emergency Fund – University of Colorado Anschutz
• Student Emergency Fund – Trinidad State Junior College
• Maverick Relief Fund – Colorado Mesa University
• Skyhawk Emergency Fund – Fort Lewis College
• Critical Aid Relief Emergency Support – Western Colorado University
• COVID-19 Education Impact Grant – Front Range Community College
• CARES Act Emergency Relief Fund – Otero Junior College Northeastern
• CARES Grant – Northeastern Junior College
• Emergency Fund Application and Information – Metropolitan State University of Denver

Inform Yourself & Stay Up to Date

• Visual Aids from the CDC: English | Spanish | Simplified Chinese
• Colorado Department of Public Health
• US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• World Health Organization (WHO)
• Denver Health has prepared a video summarizing WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Economic Hardship Help

• Xfinity WiFi hotspots across the country will be available to anyone who needs them for free – including non-Xfinity Internet subscribers. Find the closest hot spot to you here.
• U.S Providers Offering FREE Wi-Fi or Special Accommodations for 60 Days
• Altice USA Brings Free Broadband to K-12 and College Students During Coronavirus Pandemic
• Resources for Coloradans facing poverty while preparing for the coronavirus
• Restaurant workers emergency fund
• U-Haul Offers 30 Days Free Self-Storage amid Coronavirus Outbreak
• Petition to Governor Polis to suspend rent, mortgage, and utility payments during the crisis
• Avoid Coronavirus Scams & Fraud
• Denver Post temporarily takes down their paywall and allows members of the public free, unrestricted access to high-quality journalism and up-to-date and accurate information about the virus, how to avoid it, and its impact on our way of life.
• Information on pausing interest charges for all federally-held student loans
• The Colorado Restaurant Association has provided business and employee resources for those affected by business closures.
• Estimated Disaster Economic Injury Worksheet for Businesses: click here. Businesses should complete this form to trigger Federal Government economic disaster relief in our state.
• Job Attached Unemployment and the workshare program: click here.
• Colorado online application for food stamps and other various sources of assistance programs such as help with child care, cash assistance, and access to health care coverage: click here.
• If you did not get paid for any hours worked you can file a wage claim to recover wages.
• IRS Form for Non-Filers to Receive Stimulus Payments
• Annuity.org resources:
  • How to generate long-term income
  • COVID-19 Financial Guide 
• Center for Health Progress resources on the Stimulus payments to individual taxpayers under the CARES ACT:
  • Stimulus Bill (Relief Eligibility Info)-English
  • Descripción del Estímulo Elegibilidad -Spanish

Rent & Utility Help

• Temporary Rental and Utility Assistance Program
• A tenant’s guide to COVID-19
• Here is a link to the Spanish version of CO Tenant’s Guide to COVID-19
• Current eviction protocols for each judicial district

Resources for College Students Experiencing Homelessness

• Young Invincibles blog: Financial Aid and Scholarship Information for Students Dealing with Housing Insecurity or Homelessness
• Scholarships for students experiencing homelessness:
  • SchoolHouse Connection Youth Scholarship Program

Student Loan Borrowers

• On March 20th, President Trump announced that monthly payments for federal student loan borrowers will be suspended for at least the next two months and without interest or penalties. Governor Polis is requesting that financial institutions consider a 90 day deferment of payment for all consumer loans, including residential and commercial mortgages, refinancing, auto loans, and student loans. Here is additional information and resources on repaying student debt during this time.

Resources for the Uninsured

• Clinica Colorado’s offerings of telehealth/virtual care for ALL uninsured persons in Colorado – for whatever reason they may be uninsured. VISIT HERE.
• Center for Health Progress has created a resource list with important information for people without insurance. This list outlines many of the safety net health care clinics in Colorado, as well as information to access information, referrals, and testing. VISIT HERE. SPANISH VERSION HERE.

Medical Help

• Telehealth Visits for Uninsured Coloradans
• Virtual Urgent Care
• Concentra Information & Resources
• If You Get Sick – Self-care Tips if you become sick with COVID-19 from an activist nurse

***please note that it is now advised to not use ibuprofen if infected read more here***

Food Insecurity

• GrowHaus Food Boxes
• List of food pantries operating during COVID-19 situation
• Sunvalley Kitchen
• Free Meals For Students
• Free Meals For Youth 1-18 (No ID or Registration Required)
• Hunger Free Colorado has set up a Food Resource Hotline for anyone who needs help locating food. Call 855-855-4626, M – F (8 am – 4:30 pm) to find school meals, food pantries, and SNAP and WIC enrollment.
• Lynx Mobile Food Pantry Tuesday, March 24 | 9 – 11 a.m. (or until supplies last*) Walnut Lot, West 4th Street, Denver
• Hunger Free CO COVID19 Resource Page
• Food Security Policy Matrix from Anya at Hunger Free CO
• Take action now for food for CO families

Self Care and Mindfulness

• This Yoga Sequence Will Reduce Stress and Boost Immunity | Yoga Journal
• Three ways to rest the mind so you can experience the joy of mental stillness. | Mindful
• Google Arts & Culture teamed up with over 500 museums and galleries around the world to bring anyone and everyone virtual tours and online exhibits of some of the most famous museums around the world.
• A List Of Live Virtual Concerts To Watch During The Coronavirus Shutdown | NPR
• Keep Up Your Practice, Free Online Yoga | Core Power

Mental Health

• Pandemic Panic? These 5 Tips Can Help You Regain Your Calm | NPR
• 7 science-based strategies to cope with coronavirus anxiety | The Conversation
• Taking Care of Your Behavioral Health: TIPS FOR SOCIAL DISTANCING, QUARANTINE, AND ISOLATION DURING AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE OUTBREAK | SAMHSA
• NAMI has some great resources (For support, text NAMI to 741741 or call the NAMI Helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264).
• Taking Care of Your Mental Health in the Face of Uncertainty
• Colorado Crisis Services (mental health support) phone number: 1-844-493-8255 text “TALK” to 38255
• 5 Ways To Help Teens Manage Anxiety About the Coronavirus
• National Suicide Hotline: 1-800-273-8255
• Mental Health Colorado has updated its resource page with useful information for those who are struggling with mental health or substance use challenges.
• Colorado Crisis Services. If you are more seriously concerned about your own mental health or that of someone close to you, you can call the Colorado Crisis Services at 1-844-493-8255 or text Maria Droste Counseling Center. Our providers are now able to connect virtually with their clients in their homes, using a secure video platform.”TALK” to 38255.” click here
• Mental Health America – This one stop shop offers a library of resources from trusted organizations on a wide range of topics including mental health while working from home, managing stress and anxiety, ways to connect with others, and much, much more.
• 2020 Mental Health Month Toolkit – This toolkit by Mental Health America offers tips on creating healthy routines, coping with loss, and detoxifying your life.
• The Jed Foundation – “Resilience, Coping, and Parenting Strategies for Everyone During Uniquely Challenging Times” is a comprehensive webinar that discusses how to cope with uncertainty and anxiety, continue living a purposeful and meaningful life, and practice proactive resilience to counter potential feelings of sadness, depression, and helplessness.
• The Steve Fund – This helpful blog post looks at the impact COVID-19 is having on the mental health and emotional well-being of young people of color. It also provides information on connecting with a 24/7 trained crisis counselor.
• ReachOut – This collection of resources from Australia’s leading online mental health organization for young people.
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration – Guidance to assist individuals, providers, and communities in navigating the health care system during the COVID-19 outbreak.
• Children’s Hospital Colorado’s Youth Action Board created a resource page: Mental Health Tips for Teens by Teens while Staying-at-Home
• Addiction Center COVID-19 resources
• American Addiction Centers resources
  • Veterans Drug Resource Guide
  • Free Virtual Support Meetings 
• The Recovery Village:
  • Teletherapy
  • Local rehab resources 
  • Palmer Lake resource

Remote Working

• Coronavirus: How to work from home, the right way | BBC
• Leading Remote Workers: The Coronavirus’ Impact On Effective Management | Forbes
• A Guide to Managing Your (Newly) Remote Workers | HBR
• 8 strategies to set up remote work during the coronavirus outbreak | Fast Company
• Moving In-Person Meetings to Virtual – Part of the way to get information out effectively even while we are in social isolation.
• Remote Work Burnout – a report by Fingerprint for Success on the importance of taking care of the mental well-being of your employees.

Staying Connected

• Create a team Spotify playlist to be Connected through the Airwaves | Check Out the Association Team Playlist (each team member was invited to submit one to three songs)
• Virtual Happy Hour Anyone? Working From Home But Keeping Connected | NPR
• How to Prevent Loneliness in a Time of Social Distancing | Scientific American
• Maintaining Relationships while Practicing Social Distancing | Psychology Today

Senior/Elder Resources

• Meals on Wheels (Senior Hub): Delivery of meals to homebound seniors
• Senior shopping hours. Stores are dedicating hours for seniors, click here.
• Show our seniors some love and support. Read 7 ways to boost your loved one’s morale here (provided by AARP).
• Transportation for seniors. The Denver Regional Mobility and Access Council has transportation options for older adults and individuals with disabilities.
• Older Adult Resource Directory. An extensive directory of contact information, including benefits, emergency services, meals and health care.
• Food pantry schedule. A listing of food pantries in the Denver Metro area.
• Denver Regional Council of Governments Aging and Disability Resources. A collection of resources including guides to in-home healthcare, transportation, and legal assistance.

Want to help others? Need an extra hand?

• Front Range Mutual Aid
• COVID-19 Denver Metro Community Care and Help
• Community Quarantine (Colorado)
• Help Needed in Denver Covid-19 Facebook Group

Freelance Artist Resources

• COVID-19 & Freelance Artists
• For Artists in Rural Colorado
• Denver Metro Area Artist Relief Fund- to donate
• Denver Metro Artist Relief Fund – to apply
• Mental Health Services low to no cost support for artists
• For artists and creators, ConvertKit established the Creator Fund, which will provide $500 which can be used toward medical expenses, childcare, groceries, or your rent or mortgage.

Activities, Ideas & Resources for Kids (& kids at heart) at Home

• Amazing Educational Resources
• No Cost E-Book Access
• Virtual Museum Tours
• Giant List of Ideas For Being Home With Kids
• Scholastic Learn at Home Resources & Strategies
• 150+ Educational Shows on Netflix
• Quarantine Resources for Parents & Caregivers
• Kids’ online educational resources

Immigration Resources

• DACA Resource Guide
• Guía de Recursos y Información de DACA
• National Immigration Law Center
• CUNY Citizenship Now!: Provides free, high quality, and confidential immigration law services to help individuals and families on their path to U.S. citizenship
• Hispanic Federation offers a host of direct immigration services.
• See the Coalition for Immigrant Health website for resources for folks who are uninsured, immigrants, as well as for statewide resources that are updated regularly.

Advocacy, Equity and Justice Resources

• Community Voice Heard
• Take this Survey about Paid Family and Medical Leave during Coronavirus
• Write Congress today to secure crucial funding for service providers and protect people experiencing homelessness!
• ACLU resources:
  • Your rights if you’ve been stopped by the police
  • Students’ rights
  • Voting rights
  • Sex discrimination
  • Race, Ethnicity, or National-origin based discrimination
  • Immigrant Rights
  • Religious Freedom
  • LGBTQ Rights
  • Protesters’ Rights
  • Prisoners’ Rights
  • Disability Rights
• Human Rights Watch: Human Rights Watch investigates and reports on abuses happening in all corners of the world
• What You Need to Know About the Coronavirus Outbreak: A Civil Liberties Perspective | ACLU
• Treating Yellow Peril: Resources to Address Coronavirus Racism | Multiple contributors
• What’s spreading faster than coronavirus in the US? Racist assaults and ignorant attacks against Asians | CNN
• The rising panic over coronavirus is likely to make containing it harder | The Washington Post

Policy Updates

• Federal
  • Complete Federal Policy Update (including details on legislative packages and more)
• Local
  • Local Government Policy Tracker (details on what cities, counties and school districts across Colorado are doing)
  • Housing, Food Security, Economic Security and Healthcare Policy Matrix from Allison at CCLP: COVID-19 interventions.docx

Resources for Health Care Professionals

• Governor Polis has set up the Emergency Childcare Collaborative to provide childcare for:
  • Health care providers and staff: Doctors, nurses, and all hospital support personnel, including maintenance and janitorial staff
  • Public safety: Police, firefighters, EMT, Department of Corrections.
  • Staff supporting critically at-risk populations: Long-term care facilities, mental health facilities, residential facilities subject to available capacity.
  • To apply, click here. If you are a provider who is willing to open your facility to accommodate these critical workers, click here.

Nature Connection

• 360-Degree Tours of our National Parks: Interactive National Parks tours
• E Movement Activities: Provides grade level inspiration for how to connect students to the natural world through meaningful learning and experiences
• Juan Martinez TED Talk: The New Nature Movement
• Live Animal Cameras (The Cincinnati Zoo has an animal livestream plus activity at 1PM daily) and Virtual Forest Bathing
• Nature Works Everywhere: Virtual video field trips from The Nature Conservancy.
• Out of Eden Learn: A free online program for students in over 60 countries with lessons and activities.
• What’s Good In My Hood: Service-learning workbook for investigating urban communities
• An Essential Guide to Enjoying National Parks Responsibly

Outdoor Skills

• Animated Knots: If you have ever struggled with knots, this is your new go to website.
• Friction Fire: Starring our friend Robin Blankenship from Earth Knack
• Gone Feral: Doug Hill has some great posts and videos for learning primitive skills
• Leave No Trace: LNT has a lot of online videos and resources for treading lightly while exploring the great outdoors.

Environmental Issues and Solutions

• Patagonia Action Works: Connect with local environmental nonprofits in your neighborhood
• Story of Stuff: Can you make a living from recycling?
• Top 10 Apps for Sustainable Living: 10 apps that will help you live a more sustainable life.

Multilingual Resources

• This link provides editable/printable documents about COVID-19 self-management and self-isolation in various languages.
• IOM/Italy COVID-19 multilingual leaflet in 26 languages (Amharic, Arabic, Bambara, Bengali, Chinese, Edo, English, Esan-Ishan, French, Fula, Hausa, Igbo, Italian, Kurdish-Sorani, Mandinka, Pashto, Pidgin, Romanian, Russian, Somali, Soninke, Spanish, Tigrinya, Urdu, Wolof and Yoruba) – HERE.
• The Center for Victims of Torture has compiled a list of mental health resources, in multiple languages, on how to cope with the added stress and isolation. Flyers in a variety of languages are posted HERE.
• Check Switchboard frequently, as multilingual COVID-19 resources are being compiled and added frequently – HERE.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – translated print materials – HERE.

More Resources

• The office of Congressman Ed Perlmutter has put together several documents detailing important information and resources for families, workers, students, small businesses and Veterans. Click here to access.
• Single Stop – COVID 19 Colorado Resources
• Bell Policy Center – Colorado Recovery Hub
• List of Denver Homeless Shelters
• Denver Needle Exchange and Drug Harm Reduction
• Safehouse Denver (domestic violence shelter & hotline)
• National Domestic Violence Help phone number: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
• Social Media Toolkit – including Instagram and Twitter pictures and text on how to support small businesses
• If you would like to donate or volunteer in the fight against COVID-19, head to www.HelpColoradoNow.org.
• Here’s a running list from NCSL of what’s happening with state legislatures in the midst of the Coronavirus outbreak.
• Assistance with pet food: coloradopetpantry.org – 303-818-0618
• Cobalt Abortion Fund (formerly Women’s Freedom Fund) Anyone seeking an abortion in Colorado is welcome to apply for a stipend to cover the cost of care. We have also been providing practical support to those who need transportation to/from their appointment as well as offering groceries to those who need them.
• ConnectToCareJobs.com – Our healthcare facilities are experiencing an unprecedented staffing shortage. We’re here to help facilities find quality healthcare workers and to find places for healthcare workers to share their skills and talents.
• Across Colorado, small businesses have turned “can’t” into “can do” during the COVID-19 crisis. They’re doing their part to keep us safe, and to keep Colorado’s economy going. See what you can do! Can Do Colorado
• COVID-19 Scams Guide
• Free printable posters for COVID-19 for small businesses and organizations
• Help for emergency medical bills and health care costs
• An International Student’s Guide to UK University