RESOURCES
COMMUNITY RESOURCES
COVID-19
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Every home in the U.S. is eligible to order 4 free at-home COVID-19 tests. The tests are completely free. Orders will usually ship in 7-12 days. Order your tests here.
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Massachusetts has teamed up with Labcorp to provide FREE at-home COVID test kits, available for MA residents. For all eligible individuals, this COVID-19 test is provided at no cost to you and is covered by your health insurance plan or, if you do not have health insurance, by the federal government. For more information and to order a test kit, click here.
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Greater Roslindale Medical and Dental Center is offering COVID-19 testing and vaccinations. Vaccinations are available for individuals 5+. Call them at 617-323-4440 to schedule your appointment today! Visit their website or find them on Facebook for more information. Greater Roslindale Medical and Dental Center is also currently accepting new pediatric and adult patients and offers same-week appointments as well as Spanish-speaking providers.
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Need a COVID-19 test? The City of Boston partners with community health centers, hospitals, and pharmacies to increase access to COVID-19 testing for Boston residents. You can find a testing location here.
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Do your part and get vaccinated and boosted! You can find a vaccine site near you on the City of Boston's website.
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The Mayor's Health Line is a free, confidential, multilingual information and referral service. If you or your family needs legal assistance, they also provide referrals to legal services. Call (617) 534-5050 Monday-Friday from 9am-5pm.
FINANCIAL
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The Boston Tax Help Coalition (BTHC) has launched its 20th tax season and is once again offering free tax preparation for residents who earn $60,000/year or less both in person and remotely. Tax preparation assistance is available in English, Spanish, Haitian Creole, Cape Verdean Creole, Portuguese, French, Vietnamese, Mandarin, and Cantonese. You can find locations and hours are listed on bostontaxhelp.org or call 311 for more info.
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SNAP participants can now use their EBT cards to make online grocery orders and receive grocery delivery from the Daily Table, a nonprofit food store with locations in Roxbury, Dorchester, and Cambridge. SNAP participants can order groceries online for in-store pickup or delivery via Daily Table's website or app.
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The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), replaced the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) to help eligible households meet their digital needs during the pandemic and for the next 5 years. The program pays for your bill for service for up to $30/month for broadband and a one-time discount of up to $100 towards a laptop, tablet, or desktop computer. Learn more and apply on their website.
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The City of Boston has an Emergency Foreclosure Fund for income eligible Boston homeowners who are at risk of foreclosure due to economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more on their website.
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The Seniors Save program helps low-income seniors over the age of 60 replace old heating systems in their homes. Learn more and apply on their website or call (617) 635 - HOME
OTHER
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Did you know that Roslindale is full of Little Free Libraries? Thanks to the Friends of the Roslindale Branch Library, these are installed across the neighborhood and they now have a map of where they are all located! Please consider donating your books to any little libraries near you. If you recently installed your own library and would like to be listed, please email your address to info@friendsofroslindalelibrary.org.
BUSINESS RESOURCES
COVID-19
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The Mayor's Office of Economic Development is conducting a survey of small business owners in Boston help them identify and support your needs as we continue Boston's economic recovery from COVID-19.
FUNDING
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HistoricFunding.com is a funding resource for historic preservation and cultural resource management. The database includes over 7,500 funding programs(grants, loans, tax incentives, CLG funding, rebate programs) and work-training / educational programs that your business may be eligible for. There are programs for historic preservation and building restoration (including emergency repair programs), museums and cultural resource conservation, architecture and design, downtown and main street revitalization, libraries and archives, archaeology, the arts (performing, visual, writing) and the humanities.
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There are 2 new grant opportunities through MGCC: The New Applicant grant ($25M in funding) and the Inclusive Grant ($50M). Please check to see if you are eligible! Businesses are encouraged to apply for both, if eligible, as it increases your chances of getting one grant (only one will be awarded). The application deadline is April 4, and MGCC is holding online Info Sessions every Tuesday in March - register here. Small Business Strong and LISC are also able to provide TA with the application process.
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The Biz-M-Power crowdfunding matching grant program is offering businesses in Massachusetts financial assistance in meeting capital needs. They have over $20,000 in matching funds available for small businesses.
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The Small Business Relief Fund 2.0 has been replenished with $5 million. These funds will help support an additional 300 local small businesses across Boston as they continue their recovery. More information and applications can be found on their website.
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The Mayor's Office of Workforce Development is collaborating with the Mayor's Office of Economic Development to create a new Restaurant Revitalization Fund to assist local restaurants in their reopening and recovery from COVID-19. This includes grants to ease operating expenses or increase payroll, employee retention incentives including bonuses and tuition assistance, and marketing support.
EDUCATION
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CommonWealth Kitchen supports new restaurants and food start ups with their shared kitchen space and workshops! Check out their upcoming events on their website!
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The Center for Women & Enterprise is doing an Entrepreneurship for Immigrants program series. The first workshop is on February 23 at 6pm and will be in Haitian Creole and English. The second workshop is on March 23 at 6pm and will be in Spanish and English. The program is structured in a Q&A format where entrepreneurs can have their questions answered and immediate concerns addressed.
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The City of Revere is presenting a Small Business Webinar Series sponsored by JPMorgan Chase & Co. There will be a session on social media on 1/12, cash flow management on 2/9, and steps to grow your business on 3/9. All at 11am. Register for webinar sessions here.
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If you are seeking Small Business Support, join the zoom call on Fridays from 9:00-11:00am or 2:00-4:00pm to meet with a member of the City's Small Business Office. If you are interested in MWBE Certification, join the zoom call happening every Wednesday from 11:00am-1:00pm.
PROMOTION
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Main Street America and GoDaddy partnered to create the Main Street Online Tool. This tool assesses the unique e-commerce needs of individual small businesses and offers customized guidance for implementing online solutions. Simply answer a series of questions and receive a customized list of tools and resources on everything from POS systems, website platforms, and content creation software to help your business succeed.
OTHER
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The City of Boston Small Business Call is held on the last Tuesday of every month. The Small Business Call features reopening guidance, support services, and resources available to Boston's small businesses, as well as a live Q&A.
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Applications for the 2022 outdoor dining season are open! The outdoor dining season begins April 1. If you participated in the pilot program in 2021, you MUST RE-APPLY. There are significant changes to the guidelines this year, including attending a mandatory online training session. Please review the website for more information. The mandatory webinars are being held March 3, 4 8, and 9 - so register here today!