Connecting People to Resources
The Steinman Foundation is working to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Lancaster County. We have invested $500,000 and developed partnerships with local organizations to deliver Internet access, feed the hungry and provide much-needed mental health support to essential workers and others in Lancaster County during this unprecedented time in our history.
Student Connectivity
Closing the Digital Divide
The arrival of COVID-19 in Lancaster County has necessitated the sudden shift from traditional classroom teaching to virtual learning. It has also amplified equity issues, not the least of which is access to digital learning resources for minority children and those living in poverty. As teachers prepare virtual learning opportunities for their students, Lancaster County’s digital divide threatened to leave students without home Internet access behind. Without access to high-speed Internet, children living in poverty who are already educationally disadvantaged will begin to lag even farther behind their peers.
The Steinman Foundation and the Lancaster County STEM Alliance have partnered with IU-13, school district technology coordinators, Xfinity and several other internet service providers to identify the households in need of internet access.
Access has been available to students since mid-April and will last through the end of the academic school year. Read more here.
Food Assistance
Reaching Farther
The Steinman Foundation has provided dollars to local food banks across Lancaster County to help them immediately address the increasing demand during this time of uncertainty and increasing unemployment. The grants will help each hub to purchase cleaning supplies and ensure each space is a safe and healthy environment, while able to enact new COVID-19 procedures to prevent the spread of the illness. Ultimately, the goal is to build the capacity of the existing food banks across the county and to make sure families have the food they need to thrive.
Help is available to anyone who needs it. Find the food assistance program located closest to you here.
Mental Health Resources
Support for the Front Lines
Doctors, first responders and other essential workers risk their lives every day to protect us from COVID-19. Experts tell us it is normal to feel stress and anxiety during emergency, so the goal of this initiative is to provide mental health resources for our community and to provide counseling and additional support for front line workers, who may not have access to company-sponsored Employee Assistance Programs.
The Steinman Foundation is taking a comprehensive and tiered approach to the mental health needs of residents of Lancaster County. We’ve partnered with Wellspan Health to provide digital resources to help you maintain good mental health and help you find strategies to cope if you’re feeling anxious or stressed.
Additionally, we’re working with CHI St. Joseph Children’s Health to offer informational videos to help navigate this crisis with your children.
Pennsylvania has created a new toll-free support line for those struggling with issues related to COVID-19. The number to call is 1-855-284-2494. For TTY, dial 724-631-5600. This line is staffed 24 hours a day.
Other phone resources include:
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
- Línea Nacional de Prevención del Suicidio: 1-888-628-9454
- Crisis Text Line: Text “PA” to 741-741
- Safe2Say: 1-844-723-2729 or www.safe2saypa.org
- Veteran Crisis Line: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
- Disaster Distress Helpline: 1-800-985-5990
- Get Help Now Hotline (for substance use disorders): 1-800-662-4357
In the next few weeks, with support from The Steinman Foundation, local mental health providers will be offering up to 3 virtual counseling sessions for essential workers who do not have access to a company-sponsored Employee Assistance Program (EAP). This program is currently in development. Please check back after May 1, 2020 for an update on how to access these services.