Kern County Times

City of Long Beach issued the following announcement on Nov. 24

The Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services (Health Department) announced today that contracts have been awarded to several local nonprofit organizations to provide supportive services to the City’s older adult community during the pandemic. 

“The City continues to work hard to make sure that older adults have the resources and care they need to get through this health crisis,” said Mayor Robert Garcia. “The CARES Act funding we received from Governor Newsom over the summer helps to further this important work.”

In July 2020, the Long Beach City Council approved a spending plan for the City’s Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds, which allocated $500,000 for older adult support services.

Last month, the City issued a request for proposals for eligible organizations to provide a range of services and tools to help older adults maintain their health and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. Five nonprofit organizations have been contracted under this funding opportunity and have begun offering services and supportive programming to priority populations. The selected organizations include:

• Dignity Health St. Mary Medical Center
• Filipino Migrant Center
• Heart of Ida
• Jewish Family and Children’s Services of Long Beach and West Orange County
• United Cambodian Community

The organizations will be tasked with conducting community outreach and education in various languages, providing programs and services to reduce social isolation or loneliness, enhancing virtual programming.

Additionally, CARES Act funding is being used to support the following programs for older adults in Long Beach, through the City’s Health Department: 

• Long Beach Yellow Cab Transportation Program

  The Healthy Aging Center has launched a program to provide transportation to essential services for eligible low-income residents through Dec. 15. Recipients are required to meet age, income, and medical requirements. If eligible, they will be able to use Long Beach Yellow Cab services for rides within the City. Residents can sign up by calling the City’s COVID-19 Resource Line at 562.570.INFO, option 5.

• Healthy Aging Center Messaging Service

  Through this messaging service, people can receive periodic updates on issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic including resources, services and information specifically for older adults. Residents can sign up online or by calling the City’s COVID-19 Resource Line at 562.570.INFO, option 5.

• Medical and Hygiene Supply Distribution

  In partnership with the Department of Parks, Recreation & Marine (PRM), the Healthy Aging Center is preparing for the distribution of care kits at participating PRM sites in Dec. Care kits will include medical and hygiene supplies and resource packets to offer additional information and resource connections. Contact the Long Beach Senior Center at 562.570.3500 or the Long Beach Resource Line for information on availability.

• Senior Links Case Management

  Staffing has been expanded to provide case management and referral services through the Long Beach Healthy Aging Center. As part of this expansion, telehealth services are being offered and a device lending program is in development to reduce barriers for connecting to care virtually. Anyone 55 or older living in Long Beach, who needs help to continue living safely and independently in their home, is encouraged to seek care.       

Food and Meal Delivery Program

The City is partnering with local organizations to offer food and meal delivery aid for older adults and hourly wage employees that have been unable to work due to business closures and lost wages. Individuals 60 years of age and over, those who have tested positive for COVID-19, and those with specific underlying health conditions are eligible for participation in this program. The following organizations have been selected to receive grants to provide nutritious meals for qualifying residents:

• 5000 Pies
• Help Me Help You
• The LGBTQ Center Long Beach
• TGIS Catering, Inc.

Made possible through CARES Act funding, grants range from $105,062 to $845,749 for the selected organizations to conduct outreach, program eligibility screening, enrollment and food delivery.

Feeding America projects that up to 2.1 million additional Californians will find themselves unsure of where they will find their next meal as a result of the pandemic. This means that 6.4 million or 16% of California residents will need help accessing healthy food for themselves or their families.

People may find out more about these programs by calling the City’s Resource Line at 562.570.INFO (4636), option 5. Resource Line operators are prepared to help assess eligibility when needed and provide program referrals to organizations across the city.  

These programs have been made possible through the collaborative efforts of the Health Department, PRM and the Long Beach Technology and Innovation Department. 

The Health Department continues to develop strategies to support segments of the community affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and will release additional requests for proposals funded by CARES Act dollars to further those efforts.

For the latest information on COVID-19, with details on all that the City of Long Beach is doing to keep our residents safe, visit longbeach.gov/COVID19 and follow @LongBeachCity on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.