Individual Food & Financial Assistance Resources

New York City

• For urgent food and hunger needs, call the Emergency Food Hotline at 866-888-8777 or 311. You’ll be provided with hours of operation and directions to the nearest food pantries and community kitchens.
• Everyone is eligible for emergency food assistance, regardless of immigration status or how much money you have.
• Food pantries and community kitchens exist in all five boroughs.

New York State 

• Emergency Food Assistance Program

New York State

• Click here for food assistance resources.
•  Mayor De Blasio, Commissioner Garcia, and Chancellor Carranza announce that Meal Hub service will continue this summer from 7:30AM – 1:30PM, Monday through Friday at 400 sites. Click here for full press release.
• All NYC residents can get free meals at one of the city’s 400 grab-and-go food locations at schools. To find a school in your area, call 311, check NYC.gov or text the word FOOD or COMIDA to 877-877.

GetFoodNYC

• Map of free food resources across the city, including food pantries and Grab & Go meals at NYC Schools, available for all children or adults in need.

NYC Food Delivery Assistance

• Food delivery assistance for individuals or households that meet the following criteria:
  • No members of the household can go out and get food because they are at increased medical risk or homebound
  • No neighbors or family members can go out and get food for you
  • Do not receive meal assistance from other providers (incl. Meals on Wheels or God’s Love We Deliver); and
  • You are unable to afford meal delivery or grocery delivery

If you don’t meet all of the eligibility criteria above you can still get help. To find food options in your area now you can visit the link below to see the local food pantry, soup kitchen, senior center, or SNAP enrollment sites near you.
NYC.gov/getFood

Human Resources Administration

• Access HRA Application Portal

NYDIS’ COVID-19 Unmet Needs Roundtable (UNR)
Emergency vouchers for food and prescription medication costs. 
Eligibility Criteria: Must live in NYC, provide proof of address, provide proof of food stamps and unemployment applications.
Call (347) 694-7904, assistance available in both English and Spanish

NYC Human Resources Administration: Burial Assistance
For those who need financial assistance for burial, please visit: https://www1.nyc.gov/site/hra/help/burial-assistance.page

Coronavirus Financial Impact Loan
Hebrew Free Loan Society is offering interest-free loans up to $5,000 for low and moderate-income families throughout New York City, Long Island, and Westchester County. 

Coronavirus Relief Fund (currently closed for new applications)
Emergency assistance for low-income New Yorkers with loss of income, funded by Islamic Center of NYU, Penny Appeal USA, Celebrate Mercy. 

Zakat Fund of NYC
Emergency assistance for low-income New Yorkers. The average grant is $800, depending on family size.
Eligibility Criteria: Live in NYC. Demonstrate financial circumstances. Declare all income, assets, and debts. Proof of ID. 

For additional relief funding sources, please be sure to check our funding tracking document for situation-specific funding opportunities.

NYC Human Resources Administration: Burial Assistance
For those who need financial assistance for burial, please visit: https://www1.nyc.gov/site/hra/help/burial-assistance.page

New York State Bar Association Pro Bono Network

• • Unemployment Insurance Relief: Assisting members of the New York State public with the unemployment insurance claim process.
    

New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG): NY COVID-19 Legal Resource Hotline (929) 356-9582
Monday-Friday from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm 
Help New Yorkers impacted by COVID-19 get answers to essential legal questions. When leaving a message, include your name, the best number to call you back at, and a description of the legal question or issue.

Volunteers of Legal Service (VOLS): (212)-966-4400
New Yorkers in legal need can contact VOLS for support through their projects:

• • Immigrant Youth/VOLS Immigration Project: (347) 521-5722
  • Older Veterans/VOLS Veterans Initiative: (347) 521-5725 
  • Seniors/VOLS Elderly Project: (347) 521-5704 
  • Small businesses/VOLS Microenterprise Project: (347) 521-5704
  • This fact-sheet provides for tenants in New York City that are facing hardship due to COVID-19. This fact-sheet is available om 12 different languages:

Mayor’s Office: Tenant Protection Fact-Sheet

• This fact-sheet provides for tenants in New York City that are facing hardship due to COVID-19. This fact-sheet is available om 12 different languages: English, Spanish, Chinese (Traditional) , Chinese (Simplified), Russian, Arabic, Haitian Creole, Korean, Bengali , Urdu, Polish, French

New York State:

• • Moratorium on Evictions extended through August 20th

Water Service: DEP has suspended water service shut-offs and shutdowns for: 

• • Failure to comply with Cross Connection 
  • Orders to cease and desist due to non-compliance 

Gas and Electric: 

• • National Grid shut-offs related to collections will be curtailed. 
  • Con Edison is temporarily suspending any electric and gas service shutoffs involving customers having payment difficulties.  
  • PSEG Long Island is temporarily suspending shut-offs of electric service to residential customers for non-payment. This policy is effective immediately. 

Note: Routine utility shutdowns due to emergencies, construction, and repair will continue as normal. 

New York State COVID Rent Relief Extension Program (Applications due Feb. 1st)

The COVID Rent Relief Extension Program will provide eligible households with a one-time rental subsidy that will be sent directly to the household’s landlord. Applicants will not need to repay this assistance. The Covid Rent Relief Extension Program is not first come, first served. Applications will be accepted throughout the application period. HCR will prioritize eligible households with “greatest economic and social need.”

Freelancer and Self-Employed Assistance
Flow chart containing information for services and programs available to COVID-impacted freelancers and people who are self-employed. It was created by the Freelancers Union, a nonprofit.

Adolph & Esther Gottlieb Foundation

• Emergency Grant Program for painters, printmakers, and sculptors.

American Guild of Musical Artists

• AGMA Relief Fund

Artist Relief Project

• Emergency Relief and Support

Dance NYC

• COVID-19 Dance Relief Fund

Foundation for Contemporary Arts

• FCA Emergency Grants COVID-19 Fund

The Soze Agency

• Artist + Activist Relief Fund

CORE: Children of Restaurant Employees

• COREgives fund for food/beverage employees diagnosed with COVID-19

National Domestic Workers Alliance

• Coronavirus Care Fund

United States Bartender Guild

• Bartender Emergency Assistance Program

Fair-Fares Metro Cards
Half-Priced Metro Cards
Low-Income New York City residents who are at, or below the federal poverty level may qualify. Click the link above, or call 311 for more information 

New Yorkers who have had to miss work because of illness due to COVID-19 can call the City’s call center at 855-491-2667 for help with claiming paid sick leave.

NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

• COVID-19 Resources by Neighborhood – This guide lists resources available in each NYC neighborhood including mutual aid groups, community assistance groups, and resources for food assistance.

NYC Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants

• Tenant Resource Portal – The goal of this portal is to help tenants across the city find the resources they need in one place. A tenant seeking help will be taken through a series of questions and directed to the most useful resources based on their responses. (Available in English and Español)

New York State

• New York State Find Services Web App – This web application assists New Yorkers in locating appropriate services with one streamlined web application.
• NYS Unemployment Benefits
  New York State has waived the 7 day waiting period for Unemployment Insurance benefits for those out of work because of COVID-19 closures or quarantine.
  If you are filing a new unemployment insurance claim, the day you should file is based on the first letter of your last name:
  • A – F, file your claim on Monday
  • G – N, file your claim on Tuesday
  • O – Z, file your claim on Wednesday
  • If you missed your filing day, file your claim on Thursday, Friday or Saturday.
    Here is a step-by-step guide for filing a claim.

Internal Revenue Service (IRS)

1. Economic Impact Hotline: 1-800-829-1954
   1. Eligible citizens and greencard holders with a valid SSN who have not yet received their stimulus check can cll here to inquire directly
2. Online Portal: https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/non-filers-enter-payment-info-here
   1. Eligible citizens who are currently unhoused or didn’t file taxes with an address in 2018 can access this portal to update their name, SSN, and address OR banking account information to receive their stimulus check.