Philadelphia FIGHT has put together a resource guide specifically for services open and available during the public health emergency. This spreadsheet has Philly-area resources on benefits, food, grocery stores, housing, medical services, phone and internet, and hotlines that can help during this time. To view the resource guide, click here.

Jeremy Roebuck and Chris Palmer - March 30, 2020 Warning of an “impending viral explosion,” the ACLU of Pennsylvania pressed the state Supreme Court Monday to act immediately before county jails become epicenters for the coronavirus’ spread. In a petition filed on behalf of five inmates across the commonwealth, the lawyers said it is only a matter of time before the virus overruns the tightly cramped confines of jails housing pretrial defendants, probation violators, and thos

"The health and well-being of our staff, colleagues, and inmates is our top priority. We continue to closely monitor the updates regarding COVID-19 from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) and PDPH (Philadelphia Department of Public Health). In an effort to be proactive in safeguarding the welfare of everyone at the PDP we will be instituting routine symptom screening measures for COVID-19 at the point of entry into every facility. Every employee/vendor/attorney/etc. (“Emp

Max Marin - March 30, 2020 As the coronavirus pandemic crashed down in Philadelphia earlier this month, Erik Van Zant received a call from a cousin. It was check-in to see how he was holding up under the city’s new stay-at-home order. “You getting cabin fever yet?” his cousin asked. Van Zant, 46, looked around his bedroom in West Oak Lane. He had a refrigerator, a laptop and a cold can of soda in his hand. The cat slept at the edge of the bed. There was the window he could op

If the coronavirus pandemic has put you in a bind, where do you turn for help? The City of Philadelphia might have the answer. Mayor Jim Kenney’s administration has been rolling out hotlines at a rapid pace, so residents now have dozens of numbers to call for information and services. There are dedicated COVID-19 hotlines for domestic violence survivors, people going hungry, those facing eviction, small business owners and immigrants — so many that it’s been hard to keep trac

Many Philadelphians are in need of free food due to school closures, loss of income, or other challenges caused by COVID-19. In response to this need, City of Philadelphia and partners have developed two ways for residents to find free food: Food sites where any resident can pick up free food for their household. Student meal sites where any child can pick up free meals. Find food sites and student meal sites using the map and lists here. (Note: orange dots on the map are foo

Eli Hager - March 28, 2020 It seemed a welcome announcement for prisoners and their families. On Thursday, U.S. Attorney General William Barr ordered the federal prison system to release some elderly or sick people instead of keeping them in overcrowded penitentiaries where the coronavirus is already spreading. There are “at-risk inmates who are non-violent and pose minimal likelihood of recidivism and who might be safer serving their sentences in home confinement,” Barr wrot

Nicole Lewis - March 26, 2020 Most Fridays, Yezenia Guzman knows where her incarcerated mother-in-law is: at a hospital near the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla, receiving treatment for the melanoma in both her legs. But now, as the coronavirus spreads in the state, Guzman is worried. She hasn’t heard from her mother-in-law in over a week. Prison visits are suspended to reduce exposure to the virus, but she hasn’t received any word if visits to the hospital

At this point in time, there are many Philadelphia-area businesses that are unfortunately shut down due to the global pandemic, but there are still many organizations working full steam ahead during this crisis—including the Broad Street Ministry. Broad Street Ministry has been serving the City of Sisterly Love since 2005 as an alternative church community, and their mission of transforming our city, our institutions and ourselves by embracing the individual needs of our most