There’s a lot of information going around these days. We don’t want to overwhelm, but we do want to keep you informed. So here are some of the most important information and resources from this week. The first half is all in English. The second half is in Spanish.

Please share this information with your friends and community members- you never know who might need it. We’ve included information about...

· Census

· Health

· Food

· Work

If there’s information you’re looking for or a question you want answered, let us know, and we’ll do our best to share it with you. Just reply to this email with your question or requested information.

Wishing you health and happiness,

City of Durham Community Engagement Team

Census Info

43% of Durham households have taken the Census. Are you one of the ones who hasn’t taken the Census yet?

When you take the Census, it means you are counted in Durham- so Durham gets money to fund some of the important parts of your community - hospitals, schools, emergency services, food assistance, and more. This Census will impact our community for the next 10 years. Please take 10 minutes to take the Census and be counted. Then ask all your friends and community members if they have taken their Census yet.

Your Health

Information from the Health Department

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Durham County Department of Public Health wants to make sure you get accurate and up-to-date information to keep you and your families safe. Please take note of the following, and share this information with your friends and loved ones:

• Social distancing is our best tool to slow the spread of COVID-19 and protect everyone in the community. The more you stay in your own home now, the sooner we can all safely go out again. When you do have to go out, remember to stay at least six feet from others, and if possible, wear a cloth mask to prevent spreading COVID to others, even if you don't have symptoms.
• For help finding resources like food, housing, and health care, call 211. For free meal sites for children, text FOODNC to 877-877.
• For accurate COVID-19 information, visit org or ncdhhs.gov or call the Durham County hotline at 919-635-8150 or the North Carolina state hotline at 211.
• For medical advice, like understanding what to do if you have symptoms, or managing your other medical conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure during this time, call the state COVID-19 triage line at 1-877-490-6642.
• If you think you have been exposed and have symptoms of COVID-19, CALL your medical provider. Do not show up to the doctor's office without calling first. This helps limit the chances that you or someone else will be exposed to COVID-19.
• As a reminder to protect yourself and others from COVID-19, wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, keep your hands away from your face and avoid close contact with people who are ill, and stay home if you are feeling sick.
• The Durham County Department of Public health is providing limited servicesduring our modified hours of 9:00am-1:00pm. We will close to the public at 1:00. To see our hours and a list of available services, visit their website.

Use Cloth Masks in Public

Confused about new CDC mask guidance? In short: use *cloth* masks in public in order to protect others in case you have COVID & are not showing symptoms (& if you have symptoms, stay home). Do not hoard surgical masks. Save those for medical professionals & first responders.

How to Make Masks

Here's how you can make masks from materials already in your home. More details on the CDC's site.

Your Food

Finding Food

Get help finding food for your children while schools are closed. Text FOODNC to 877-877. You will be asked to enter your address and will receive a text back with the location of the closest meal sites & serving times. http://ow.ly/frIp50yZ9pV

Student Meals

DPS student meal distribution program has ended. Below is a list of organizations that are providing meals throughout the week for children and their families.

• The DPS Foundation has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars and is working with other nonprofit and business partners to provide family meals on Fridays and Saturdays. Go to org for more information.
  
  
• No Kid Hungry North Carolina has a list of drive-thru or pick-up sites with meals for children at http://nokidhungrync.org/covid19. Families can also text “FOODNC” (or “COMIDA” in Spanish) to 877-877 for the closest three sites to their location.
  
  
• The NC Department of Health and Human Services has increased benefits to families receiving Food and Nutrition Services through the end of April. All families will receive the maximum amount allowed for their household size.
  
  
• The Durham Neighbors Free Lunch Initiative is providing contact-less free meals, Monday-Friday, through local restaurant Geer Street Garden. Click link for more information: http://www.DurhamFreeLunch.com
  
• The Sheetz located at 7520 NC 751, Durham, NC is providing Kidz Meal Bags. Meal bags will be available all day to children and families. Click link for more information: https://www.sheetz.com/news/kidzmeals

Food Safety

Hungry? Wondering how to find food AND stay safe? The following website provides information about preparing for COVID-19 and managing risk for individuals at home and for food environments such as restaurants, grocery stores, food banks, gardens and farms. These resources are based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), World Health Organization (WHO) and the best available science. All items are translated into Spanish. Check back frequently for updates. Read more at:https://foodsafety.ces.ncsu.edu/covid-19-resources/

Your Housing

No Utility Cut-Offs

In light of the public health threat posed by COVID-19, on Monday, March 9th, the City’s Department of Water Management suspended the disconnection of residential water services for nonpayment. Residential Water and Sewer customers who are experiencing hardship and are not able to pay their past-due balances will continue to receive uninterrupted service. On March 31, 2020, Governor Roy Cooper signed an Executive Order that required all utilities in the state (electric, gas, water, and wastewater) to do the same. This Order means Durham’s Department of Water Management, along with utilities across North Carolina, will continue to suspend disconnection for nonpayment for the following 60 days.

Your Work

Small Business Owners: COVID-19 Resources / Information at DurhamBusiness360.com 

Durham small business owners & entrepreneurs looking to access resources to help them improve their businesses as well as help with COVID19 can now find those resources on our new website at https://durhambusiness360.com

Essential Worker Child Care

Essential workers who need child care, call 1-888-600-1685 for local options. Financial assistance for care may also be available. https://ncdhhs.gov/news/press-releases/ncdhhs-provide-financial-support-essential-workers-and-child-care-providers…

______________________________________

Spanish: Take the Census

LAURA WILL ADD

Spanish: Your Health

Spanish: Health Department Information / Comparta esta información

Durante la pandemia de COVID-19, el Departamento de Salud Pública del Condado de Durham quiere asegurarse de que usted obtenga obtenga información precisa y actualizada para mantenerlo a usted y a sus familias a salvo. Por favor tome nota de lo siguiente y comparta esta información con sus amigos y seres queridos:

• El distanciamiento social es nuestra mejor herramienta para frenar la propagación de COVID-19 y proteger a todos en la comunidad. Cuanto más se quede en su casa ahora, más pronto podremos volver a salir de forma segura. Cuando tengas que salir, recuerda permanecer al menos a seis pies de distancia de los demás y, si es posible, use una máscara de tela para evitar la propagación de COVID a los demás, incluso si no tiene síntomas.
• Para obtener ayuda sobre cómo encontrar recursos tales como alimentos, vivienda y atención médica, llame al 211. Para sitios de comidas gratis para niños, envíe un mensaje de texto FOODNC al 877-877
• Para obtener información precisa sobre COVID-19, visite dcopublichealth.org o ncdhhs.gov o llame a la línea directa del Condado de Durham al 919-635-8150 o a la línea directa del estado de Carolina del Norte al 211.
• Para obtener consejo médico, como por ejemplo entender qué hacer si tiene síntomas, o manejar otras condiciones médicas como diabetes o presión arterial alta durante este tiempo, llame a la línea estatal de selección COVID-19 al 1-877-490-6642.
• Si cree que ha estado expuesto y tiene síntomas de COVID-19, LLAME a su proveedor médico. No se presente al consultorio del médico sin llamar primero. Esto ayuda a limitar las posibilidades de que usted u otra persona se exponga al COVID-19.
• Como recordatorio para protegerse a sí mismo y a los demás de COVID-19, lávese las manos con agua y jabón durante al menos 20 segundos, mantenga las manos alejadas de su cara y evite el contacto cercano con las personas que están enfermas.
• El Departamento de Salud Pública del Condado de Durham está proporcionando servicios limitados durante nuestro horario modificado de 9:00am-1:00pm. Cerraremos al público a la 1:00.

Spanish: Use máscaras *de tela* en público

• ¿Confundido acerca de la nueva guía de máscaras? Use máscaras *de tela* en público para proteger a los demás en caso de que tenga COVID y no muestre síntomas (y si tiene síntomas, quédese en casa). Máscaras quirúrgicas deben reservarse para profesionales médicos.

Tu Comida

Nuestro programa de distribución de comida ha terminado. A continuación, encontrará una lista de organizaciones que ofrecen comidas para los niños, niñas y sus familias durante toda la semana.

• La Fundación DPS ha recaudado cientos de miles de dólares y está trabajando con otros socios comerciales y sin fines de lucro para proporcionar comidas a las familias todos los viernes y los sábados. Para mayor información visite org.
  
  
• 2) “No Kid Hungry North Carolina” tiene una lista de sitios donde puede recoger comidas para niños, niñas en su automóvil o “drive-thru”http://nokidhungrync.org/covid19. Las familias también pueden enviar mensajes de texto a “FOODNC” (o “COMIDA” en español) al 877-877 para obtener la información de los tres sitios más cercanos a su residencia.
  
  
• El Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte ha aumentado los beneficios para las familias que reciben servicios de comidas y nutrición hasta finales de abril. Todas las familias recibirán la cantidad máxima autorizada para el tamaño de su hogar.
  
  
• La Iniciativa de Almuerzo Gratis de los Vecinos de Durham, (The Durham Neighbors Free Lunch Initiative en inglés) ofrece comidas gratis de lunes a viernes, a través del restaurant local Geer Street Garden. Haga clic en el enlace para obtener más información: http://www.DurhamFreeLunch.com

Spanish: Food Safety

¿Tiene preguntas acerca de cómo mantenerse sano al hacer las compras? Este sitio web le dará información para prepararse mejor contra el COVID19 en situaciones relacionadas con la compra y venta de alimentos. Por lo tanto, también encontrará información importante para restaurantes, tiendas y supermercados, despensas de alimentos, granjas y mercados agrícolas. Estos recursos se basan en la guía del Centro para el Control y la Prevención de Enfermedades (CDC), la Agencia de Prevención Ambiental (EPA), el Departamento de Agricultura de los Estados Unidos (USDA), la Administración de Alimentos y Medicamentos de los Estados Unidos (FDA), la Organización Mundial de la Salud (WHO), y la mejor ciencia disponible. Todos los recursos están traducidos al Español. Revise el sitio frecuentemente para actualizaciones. Para más información visite: https://foodsafety.ces.ncsu.edu/covid-19-resources/

Tu Trabajo

Thank you/Gracias,

NIS- Community Engagement Team