Ethnic Studies Library Guide to Online Resources: Community Resources for COVID-19

Information and updates from the UC Berkeley Library system during the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Friday March 20, 2020, in response to the challenges to our campus academic mission brought in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, a new grading policy(link is external) was announced for the Spring 2020 semester. Under this emergency policy, the default grading option for all undergraduate enrollments is Passed/Not Passed (P/NP). The default grading policy for graduate enrollments remains unchanged, but graduate programs have been given the flexibility to design local responses (Covid-19 information for graduate education(link is external)).

In conjunction with the Wellness Initiative, bridges Multicultural Resource Center, Multicultural Community Center (MCC), and Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), we are very excited to offer a community-based and accessible space for students to connect with counseling and clinical services.

Resources from the Undocumented Student Program (USP).

The Emergency Rental Assistance Program is now accepting applications!! The program is funded by the Basic Needs Fee, which the student body (YOU) passed in Spring 2019!
This fund aims to help stabilize housing for undergraduate and graduate students in emergency financial situations by providing them with a month’s rent.

Emergency grants do not have to be paid back and students apply through an online application. Students are awarded based on need and on a first-come first-served basis. The application is posted by the sixth week of each semester. Students can only receive each emergency grant one time per academic year. The housing emergency grant is intended for extenuating housing-related costs whereas the general emergency grant is intended for extenuating food security, medical, dental, computer, and other unforeseen emergencies.

Your financial aid eligibility is based on a standard cost of attendance, or student budget. We may be able to increase your budget—and your financial aid eligibility—if you incur expenses during the academic year that are higher than your standard financial aid budget. This is called a Cost of Attendance (COA) Adjustment. Please note that there is no COA Adjustment process for the summer term.

The UC Berkeley Food Pantry project is a direct response to the need among the student population for more resources to fight food insecurity — the lack of nutritious food. With rising fees, textbook costs and living expenses, it is becoming increasingly difficult for students to juggle the cost of living with the cost of obtaining a university degree. Many students find themselves choosing between essentials, such as food and basic toiletries, and the costs of college.

The Financial Aid and Scholarships Office offers short-term emergency loans to graduate and undergraduate students. These interest-free loans are designed to help students meet unanticipated expenses directly related to the cost of education.

Dedicated to serving the diverse and changing needs of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities at the University of California, Berkeley, APASD provides accessible and relevant programming and resources, promotes cross-cultural community building, and advocates civil rights and social justice through education and empowerment.

APASD Remote Resources List: bit.ly/apsadresources

Please help APASD by taking this short survey on the types of support you and your community needs at this time: bit.ly/APASDCommunityCheckin

The CLSD office is student run, staff led, and community supported. The office is the place where students will come in with any question and it’s our job to find the answers by using our networks within our community and throughout Berkeley.

The Native American Student Development office (NASD) at Berkeley exists to serve and support the diverse and changing needs of Native students in their time at Cal. We strive to provide relevant, accessible and engaging programs and resources, promote intertribal and cross cultural approaches to community building with a social justice lens.

The MCC strives to integrate student-driven and community-oriented management, decision-making and visioning in everything that we do. In conjunction with our close partners, the MCC facilitates students' greater involvement in multicultural-related education, collaborations and cross/inter-cultural community building.

The Center is committed to accomplishing food, housing, and economic justice on the UC Berkeley campus through a robust model of prevention, intervention and emergency relief efforts in order to support the mental-emotional-physical health, wellness, academic performance, professional development, and holistic success of students.

General questions: basicneedscenter@berkeley.edu / (510) 519-4003
Student emergencies: basicneedssupport@berkeley.edu / (510) 859-7507
Food resources: foodpantry@berkeley.edu / (510) 463-4170

Please refer to the link above for latest travel advisories and resources for members of our international community.

Please refer to the link above for the latest information on Equity & Inclusion resources, support, and accommodations. For information on how to report a hate crime or hate-related incident on campus, please go to: https://campusclimate.berkeley.edu/report-incident.

Due to the unpredictability of pandemic, CAPS may change its services accordingly. Please refer to the CAPS website for the most updated information.

All initial visits with counselors will be by phone. Please call (510) 642-9494 to speak with a counselor if you are needing help and do not already have an appointment.

CAPS hours are currently 10am - 4pm, Monday – Friday. For after-hours support, please call the 24/7 line at (855) 817-5667

Students who have follow-up appointments scheduled should check secure messages for updates from their assigned counselor.

Drop-in urgent counseling has been suspended. Students with urgent concerns should call 510-642-9494 to speak with a counselor as a first step.

Many of our satellite offices are closed due to building closures. Please check your specific location. All Let's Talk drop-in at satellite locations has been suspended until further notice.

University Health Services information on coping during the COVID-19 pandemic. "As the situation with COVID-19 (Coronavirus) continues to evolve feelings of uncertainty, anxiety, and fear can
be overwhelming. Students, faculty, and staff are dealing with sudden changes to their regular schedules and worry about what comes next for themselves, friends and family."

Recalibrate -- dialing in to wellness resources—for Berkeley students, faculty, and staff

Deadline was May 27, 2020. UC Berkeley COVID-19 Relief Funds for undergraduate, graduate, international, and undocumented students with housing, food, medical/health, and technology needs for the Spring 2020 term. This is an emergent conversation, so we are working on Summer 2020/Fall 2020 resources for students. Our goal is to give awards to as many students as possible, but unfortunately, not all students may qualify or receive funding. Our efforts are guided by three core values: belonging, equity, and justice.

This is a living document from the Freedom Community Clinic on mass resources in the Bay Area during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are community members who hope to bring love and health during this time. Shoutout to the team from Los Angeles County who inspired this doc + many resources on here. Thanks to other Bay Area guides out there too. Here is an amazing resource of COVID-19 health information in many languages.

This is a database to help you get connected to resources and organized efforts in response to COVID 19. In the face of uncertainty and crisis, we find that action helps us feel strong and clear, community helps us feel held and connected. Especially as we remain isolated in our homes, we still have the ability to support and care for each other.

Continuously updated information on COVID-19 and how it relates to the UC Berkeley campus and community.

The physicians and medical practitioners in the Emergency Department are available 24 hours a day to care for patients who are experiencing acute illness. Our staff is specially trained in advanced life support and critical care.

Hotline is available 24/7 at 1(800) 273-8255.

Trained counselors are here to support LGBTQ+ Youth 24/7. If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgment-free place to talk, call the TrevorLifeline now at 1-866-488-7386.

The Hotline provides lifesaving tools and immediate support to empower victims and survivors to find safety and live free of abuse. We also provide support to friends and family members who are concerned about a loved one. Resources and help can be found by calling 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Individuals who are Deaf or hard of hearing may use TTY 1-800-787-3224. Additionally, advocates who are Deaf are available 24/7 through the National Deaf Hotline by video phone at 1-855-812-1001, Instant Messenger (DeafHotline) or email (nationaldeafhotline@adwas.org).

Google document created by parents with tips on resources for parents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

To assist undocumented workers who have lost their jobs or income as a result of the Coronavirus outbreak, Legal Aid at Work has compiled a list of known relief funds for undocumented workers. We will be updating this list as new information becomes available. For more information on the job-related legal rights of undocumented workers, see our Fact Sheet on Undocumented Workers and our Coronavirus FAQ.

The Coronavirus Care Fund (CCF) provides $400 in emergency assistance for qualifying home care workers, nannies and house cleaners who are experiencing financial hardship due to the coronavirus pandemic. Assistance from the Fund is to help you stay home and stay safe during the pandemic.

El Fondo para Cuidados por el Coronavirus (CCF por sus siglas en inglés) proporciona $400 en ayuda de emergencia para trabajadoras de cuidado en el hogar, niñeras y limpiadoras de casas quienes califican y están experimentando dificultades económicas debido a la pandemia del coronavirus. La ayuda que provee el Fondo es para ayudarte a quedarte en casa y mantenerte segura durante la pandemia.

Artist Relief will distribute $5,000 grants to artists facing dire financial emergencies due to COVID-19; serve as an ongoing informational resource; and co-launch the COVID-19 Impact Survey for Artists and Creative Workers, designed by Americans for the Arts, to better identify and address the needs of artists.

As COVID-19 impacts our community, we’ll update this space with the latest ways that folks can get involved and take action to help incarcerated people, curbside communities, and other vulnerable populations in the Bay Area and California.

You can support the people who are incarcerated directly by sending money to their prison account so they can purchase extra food and hygiene items such as soap, toothpaste etc in this very scary times of the deadly Coronavirus Pandemic.

Hello! We are a group of Artists, Activists, Healers, Body workers, Weirdos, Formerly Incarcerated Folks and an Attorney. We have put together this guide to support incarcerated people in taking care of and protecting themselves during the COVID-19 pandemic. While there has been a lot of guidance from the Center for Disease Control, what is outlined here is rooted in Holistic Resistance.
We are not licensed medical professionals and do not diagnose or prescribe. The information we are sharing here is not meant to cure or treat COVID-19, but to empower prisoners to feel confident in doing what they can to support and protect themselves in this time. The info we compiled is based on what we know people in California prisons may have access to, but we hope it will be helpful in other states as well. We make no claim regarding COVID-19, as this viral strain is new and unknown to us. Every body is different, everybody has different needs and different ways that their bodies respond to stress, illness and to different treatments. We urge you to listen to your own body and trust your own experience.

From the introduction: "As we continue to track the development of the coronavirus, racial fears and anxieties have become a dominant frame in which people evaluate the concerns over the recent coronavirus infection. This page is intended to gather textual and digital resources to provide easy access to material useful for teach-ins, talking points, and classroom teaching."

Disclaimer: This toolkit will be updated frequently. Content of this toolkit is subject to change.

Purpose: To provide information, messaging guidance and other resources for the AAPI community regarding the response to COVID-19.

Suggested Use: Use these messages for social media (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc.) or for talking points for your organization.