These resources are meant not only to help others, but also to help you. If you find yourself able to give to the following causes, please do so! And if you need support, these are some places to get it.
A Note on Financial Support: We know many are hurting financially right now. For this reason, we are maintaining an updated list of all of the resources we have come across regarding financial support during this rapidly evolving situation. We are a volunteer agency and financial support is not our area of expertise; we are not in a position to make an official recommendation or endorsement of any of these resources. That said, we hope you find some value in this list and we welcome recommendations on additions or changes.
A big thank you to Peacock Rebellion for passing along many of these resources! Peacock Rebellion is an SF Bay Area - based, queer + trans people of color crew of artist-activist-healers working to build a culture of social justice with an emphasis on healing justice.
DONATE TO BAY AREA QUEER SPACES & CAUSES
El Rio Gofundme: 100% of the money we receive will be split among ALL of our staff - bar, sound, door, as well as the cleaning crew.
Jolene’s Bar Gofundme: The financial goal of $25,000 is to ensure every one of Jolene’s employees receives a paycheck at the end of the month. This fund will be distributed evenly amongst all employees.
LGBTQ Relief and Support: Let’s make sure that our elders, LGBTQ people with disabilities, low-income communities, and those at the highest risk have the support they need.
Pacific Center: This organization provides LGBTQ-proficient mental health and wellness services. Donate now to sponsor free therapy sessions to people in need of mental health support during the COVID-19 crisis.
San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus COVID-19 Relief Fund: All donations will be matched by Quickbooks and Gofundme.
San Francisco Queer Cultural Center: Support queer artists in the Bay Area.
The Stud Gofundme: The Stud Collective wants to prioritize support for staff - bartenders, coat check, security team and amazing janitor - all donations will go directly to them.
wayOUT: Support wayOUT’s partner organizations that work to support LGBTQ+ youth.
FOOD RELIEF
California Association of Food Banks: Find a food bank or food assistance program in your zip code.
CalFresh: Apply for the CalFresh nutrition program (formerly known as the Food Stamp Program).
Che Fico Free Meals: Anyone can sign up for free meals for pickup in San Francisco.
San Francisco Unified School District: Free meals for SFUSD students during school closures.
GENERAL FINANCIAL RELIEF
A Just East Bay Response Fund: This fund will provide one-time general operating grants to organizations that provide critical services around economic security to the most vulnerable populations in the East Bay.
Berkeley Relief Fund: Berkeley City Council has approved $3 million for emergency relief grants to small businesses, nonprofit arts organizations, and residential tenants, that are hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic
Coronavirus Financial Aid Funds (collected by Candid.org and searchable by region)
Coronavirus Emergency Grants (collected by Grantspace)
Coronavirus Request for Proposals (collected by Candid.org)
GENERAL COVID-19 RESOURCES
Bay Rising - PREPARING FOR CORONAVIRUS CRISIS: AS ORGANIZERS, IT’S TIME TO DO WHAT WE DO BEST: Resources for organizers, workers, employers, and people experiencing homelessness.
Berkeley Mutual Aid: A platform to help neighbors connect during the Coronavirus pandemic so that no one in our community has to face this crisis alone.
C19 Help Squad (get help): If you have suffered hardship due to the coronavirus and you need supplies, help with transportation, help paying utilities, or have other needs due to the recent pandemic please fill out this form.
Coronavirus Resource Kit: This kit is a collectivized document that will be updated as more mutual aid projects and resources appear online. Most of these resources are from survivors, those marginalized by state violence, and from disabled, queer, elderly, Asian, and indigenous people.
Family Resources from SF Unified School District: Info about getting access to technology, childcare, meals and more.
Half Assed Disabled Prepper Tips for Preparing for a Coronavirus Quarantine - by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha
San Mateo County Pride Center: Compiled resources on everything from legal services, housing, health and wellness, job search, transportation, veterans, mental health, and more.
HEALTHCARE, MEDICAL, AND MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES
City and County of San Francisco Resources: one-stop City resources and information, including how to get tested in San Francisco. Text COVID19SF to phone number 888-777 for updates.
Covered California: Enroll anytime for healthcare through Covered California.
COVID-19 Testing by Project Baseline: Verily's Project Baseline is working to deliver COVID-19 testing initially in select counties in the Bay Area to the highest risk populations as defined by the California Department of Public Health.
Medi-Cal: Healthcare coverage for low-income adults, families with children, seniors, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, children in foster care and former foster youth up to age 26.
SF Night Ministry Care Line & Gatherings: Our Care Line is for everyone: 415) 441-0123, 10PM – 4AM (PST). Tuesday Gathering will meet virtually, every Tuesday evening from 6PM – 7:30PM. To join, call (978) 990-5000, then enter access code 298478#.
The Trevor Project - Trevor Lifeline (call 1-866-488-7386), TrevorChat (click to chat with a counselor online), and TrevorText (text START to 678678): These are all resources for LGBTQ+ folks to receive crisis counseling and support.
HOUSING AND UTILITIES RESOURCES
Centro Legal de La Raza: Housing and workers’ rights support during the COVID-19 crisis.
Our Trans Home SF: A coalition working to address homelessness and housing instability impacting Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming (TGNC) people in the San Francisco Bay Area and providing COVID-19 support.
SF Temporary Eviction Moratorium Info: SF landlords cannot legally evict a tenant who is unable to pay rent due to COVID-19 financial losses. This resource includes a sample letter to send to landlord to inform them of the inability to pay rent due to COVID-19 financial losses.
INDUSTRY-SPECIFIC RESOURCES AND FINANCIAL RELIEF
Bay Area Leather Lifeline: A fund to help kinksters and leather folk in the SF Bay Area who need immediate help during the COVID-19 crisis.
Bartender Emergency Assistance Program (for bartender or child/spouse of bartender): Grant assistance for bartenders, their spouses, and/or their children.
Freelance Artist Resource: An aggregated list of FREE resources, opportunities, and financial relief options available to artists of all disciplines.
National Domestic Workers Alliance Coronavirus Care Fund: Emergency assistance for domestic workers.
The Oakland Food Service Workers COVID-19 Relief Fund: PRIORITY WILL BE GIVEN TO: BLACK, INDIGENOUS AND OTHER POC, UNDOCUMENTED, UNHOUSED, DISABLED, LGBTQIA+, OAKLAND/BAY AREA NATIVE FOLKS.
One Fair Wage Emergency Fund: Cash assistance to restaurant workers, car service drivers, delivery workers, personal service workers and more who need the money they aren’t getting to survive during the COVID-19 crisis.
Opera San Jose Artists and Music Relief Fund: an emergency cash reserve to provide support to the musicians, singers, carpenters, stitchers, designers and other hourly company members that make our productions possible and will be deeply affected by COVID-19.
Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation: Information and links to resources that will help restaurants and workers deal most effectively with the COVID-19 Emergency.
San Francisco Arts Relief Fund: The San Francisco Arts Commission and Grants for the Arts has loans and grants availabile.
SF Queer Nightlife Fund: The purpose of this fund is to provide financial relief to workers in the nightlife industry for as long as the current crisis continues - apply to both give or get assistance.
LEGAL RESOURCES
LGBTQ+ SPECIFIC RESOURCES
7 Cups LGBTQ+ Chat Room and Support Online: Chat online with LGBTQ active listeners for support
AsylumConnect COVID-19 Outreach Sharing Toolkit: Free verified LGBTQ+ affirming services, including: drop-in centers for LGBTQ youth, libraries, hygiene items, affirming medical care, trans support groups, and mental health hotlines.
COVID-19 Relief - SF Bay Area LGBTQ Community Needs Signup: Fill out this form if you need financial support, groceries/essential supplies, medications picked up, and/or wellness and peer support.
Gender Spectrum: Online groups for gender-diverse pre-teens, teens, and parents/caregivers/family members of gender-diverse youth.
Horizons Foundation COVID-19 Emergency Response: Emergency funds for LGBTQ+ organizations.
National Center for Transgender Equality - The Coronavirus (COVID-19): What Trans People Need to Know
SF Coronavirus LBGTQ+ Resource List: Updated information about LGBTQ+ related services and programs in the Bay Area that are available during shelter-in-place.
SF LGBT Center: The SF LGBT Center is still operating the Referral Program from Monday-Friday 9 am-6 pm. If folks want assistance navigating resources or getting connected, they can call or email info@sfcenter.org or 415.865.5661.
Transgender Law Center Virtual Community Gatherings: Our communities are only as strong as the circles of care we create. Let’s use this opportunity to provide a space of solace, political education, and resource sharing.
RESOURCES FOR SENIORS & THE ELDERLY
Bay Area Senior/Disability/Worker Mutual Aid Form - from Senior and Disability Action, Bay Resistance & others
Meals on Wheels: Provides meals to seniors through local food distribution centers. Search for a meal in your zip code by clicking the link.
Raley’s Senior Essentials Bags: Intended for seniors and at-risk customers in self-isolation or quarantine. There is a $20 bag with perishable and nonperishable foods, or a $35 bag with pre-made meals.
Santa Clara County Senior Nutrition Program: The Senior Nutrition Program offers pre-packed and to-go hot lunches at the centers listed.
30th Street Senior Center (415-550-2210), and Castro Senior Center (415-863-3507) are providing pick-up meal service for seniors and disabled adults.
UNEMPLOYMENT & OTHER BENEFITS
Disability Insurance: If you are unable to work because you have been exposed to COVID-19, you can apply for disability insurance.
File for Unemployment in CA: Video tutorials for how to file an unemployment claim are available in English, Spanish, Cantonese, Vietnamese, and Mandarin.
You can file an unemployment insurance claim over the phone Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 12 PM:
English: 1-800-300-5616 Spanish: 1-800-326-8937 Cantonese: 1-800-547-3506 Mandarin: 1-866-303-0706 Vietnamese: 1-800-547-2058 TTY: 1-800-815-9387
More COVID-19 Specific Info from US Department of Labor: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/flsa/pandemic