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Library Updates & Local News
May 29, 2020
 

Food Drive
Sunday, May 31
1 - 6 pm
30 Harrison Ave., Branford, CT
 
The Community Dining Room is having a food drive for non-perishable items to fill the Pod in their parking lot.
 
There will be volunteers out in the parking lot taking donations and filling the Pod. You can simply drive into the parking lot and hand off your donations without even having to get out of your car. If you need suggestions, please visit their website and see their wish list:
www.communitydiningroom.org
 
The Community Dining Room is so very grateful for all of the support to ensure no one goes hungry.
 
Community Message - COVID-19
Infrared Thermometers for Small Businesses and Nonprofits

The State of Connecticut will be distributing 50,000 infrared thermometers it has secured for small businesses, nonprofits, and places of worship to support safe reopening activities amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Entities that would like to request a thermometer can fill out the forms located at 
ct.gov/coronavirus in the “Access to Personal Protective Equipment” section, or through the links provided below:
  • Small businesses: Any small business in the state that has between 2 and 100 employees are eligible to receive one thermometer per physical address. Eligible businesses seeking to request thermometers should click here.
  • Nonprofits located within Connecticut are eligible to receive one thermometer per physical address. To request thermometers for nonprofits, click here. Social services and direct care nonprofits may request a thermometer through the process outlined in this memo.
  • Places of worship: Places of worship are eligible to receive one thermometer per physical address. To request thermometers for places of worship, click here.
This ordering portal is for Connecticut small businesses and nonprofits with 100 employees or less and is for infrared thermometers only.

For specific questions please contact: Covid19.jic@ct.gov

 

IRS-Certified Volunteers Can Help You File Your Taxes For Free Through a Virtual VITA Program 
 Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) coalitions across Connecticut are working hard to ensure that eligible households have access to free tax preparation assistance.
 
While VITA sites have closed – at least temporarily – in an effort to ensure the health and safety of volunteers and the clients they serve, free, online tax filing though virtual VITA platforms is now available statewide.
 
There is still time to file your taxes for free with the help of IRS- Certified Volunteers! The deadline to your file taxes has been extended to July 15, 2020.
 
Eligibility for the Virtual VITA Program is the same as traditional VITA. Households who earned $56,000 or less last year and have access to a smartphone or computer, internet/WiFi, and a valid phone number and email address, may utilize the Virtual VITA Program.
 
For more information and to sign up visit www.211ct.org/taxhelp.
 
(203) 287-2460

What is a warmline?
A warmline is a number you can call that will direct you to the resources or services you need. When you call Reach Out New Haven at (203) 287-2460 you will be answered by a trained professional. Our operators are experienced in providing mental health guidance and can connect you to outsourced hotlines or agencies if needed. During the COVID-19 crisis you deserve a compassionate listener who can lend an ear about your stress and point you in the right direction for whatever resources you might need. This warmline is available Monday-Thursday from 8:30am to 7:00pm and Friday from 8:30am to 6pm.

When should I call?
You should call Reach Out New Haven if you:
--Just need someone to talk to (in English or Spanish)
--Need food and don't know who to turn to
--Are in need of child/infant supplies (school notebooks, diapers, clothes, etc.)
--Need connections to mental health resources
--Have questions about how to get COVID-19 information
--Need connections to volunteer aid or help from the community
 
For more information, click here.
 

COVID-19 Testing
Pruebas para detectar el COVID-19

Testing is free and open to everyone.
You do not have to be experiencing symptoms to get tested.
Las pruebas son gratuitas y están abiertas para todos.
No tienes que demostrar síntomas para hacerte la prueba.


For appointments, call
Para citas, llame al
203-871-4179


Appointments/Citas:
Monday-Friday/Lunes-Viernes
9 am-5 pm


Testing Site/El lugar de las pruebas:
Fair Haven Community Health Care
374 Grand Avenue, New Haven, CT

 
 
It’s time for your creative juices to flow. The Friends of the Library are adding a Poetry Corner to Marble Columns. If you’d like to see your original poem published in a future issue, please forward it.The topic can run the gamut of your feelings from dealing with this challenging period to historical observations to love of reading, etc., as long as it is appropriate for our readers. We hope you will take advantage of this new opportunity.

Please send submissions to
friends@blackstonelibrary.org by June 1.

 
SimplyE App - Read All Your E-books in One Place
SimplyE is a new e-reader app that allows you to search for, download and read e-books from various library resources all in one place.
Please note: Hoopla is not included on SimplyE.

Included are Blackstone's OverDrive collection, CT State Library's RBdigital collection, CT State Library's Baker & Taylor collection, CT State Library's Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) Exchange collection, New York Public Library's Instant classics collection, and the DPLA Open Bookshelf collection.

 
Here's how to get started:

1. Download the app from the App Store or Google Play.
2. Open app; click on Find Your Library.
3. Scroll down until you find James Blackstone Memorial Library. Click on it.
4. Click on Settings in the lower right corner.
5. Click on Accounts. Choose James Blackstone Memorial Library.
6. Input your barcode and then click Log In.

7. Click on Catalog in the lower left corner to search for books. When you find something you like, click on it and then click Get (or Reserve to place a hold). Books that you have checked out will appear under My Books, and holds under Reservations. That's all there is to it!

Legal Aid Hotline - Statewide Legal Services of Connecticut, Inc.
Statewide Legal Services of CT, Inc. (SLS), the state’s only legal aid hotline serving all 169 cities and towns, announces that it continues to work remotely during the pendency of the COVID-19 crises. SLS’s experienced attorneys and advocates guide individuals with legal questions about health care access, public benefits, housing, unemployment and other problems, and also refer cases to other legal aid programs or to volunteer attorneys.

To contact SLS,
call the toll-free hotline, 1-800-453-3320 (or from Middletown and Hartford, 860-344-0380), Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
 
Individuals may also apply for help by submitting a confidential, online application for legal assistance here.

Connecticut residents are urged to visit CT Law Help
for COVID-19 related updates.

How We Feel App
The East Shore District Health Department is asking you to download the free app How We Feel, which lets you remain anonymous while letting epidemiologists know how you're feeling -- if you're sick or if you're fine. By checking in to say how you feel, you can help the health department re-open businesses safely. For more information, visit https://howwefeel.org/.
You can find the app in the App Store and at Google Play.


 

Branford Home Delivery Service
The Town of Branford has initiated a program to help seniors and immunosuppressed people with their shopping needs. In cooperation with Caron's Corner and Big Y, this food delivery program is free to Branford residents. Those interested may contact Holly Lane at hlane@branford-ct.gov or call the Branford Counseling & Community Services Staff at 203.481.4248 Monday - Friday, 9am - 12noon to place an order. You will need to complete a Grocery Order Form (and prepared meals list from Caron's Corner if needed).



Help Out Take Out Program
The Branford Rotary Club and Branford Counseling & Community Services are partnering to support our restaurants AND neighbors who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic.

To make a donation that will be used to purchase a restaurant gift card for a neighbor in need, visit the Branford Rotary Club’s website here.
 
If you are in need of a gift card, complete the application here and send it to:
Social Services Coordinator Mike Randi at mrandi@branford-ct.gov or Branford Counseling & Community Services, 342 Harbor Street, Branford, CT 06405.
You will be contacted once your application is processed.

Helpful Resources

DIY Cloth Face Coverings
Here you'll find a document on several ways to make cloth face masks and how to use them properly, from the East Shore District Health Department.

Looking for a Job?
Check out JobNow, a resource which provides resume templates & examples, live job and interview coaches, live resume experts, career assessments and more. Blackstone Library cardholders can sign up for a free account by clicking on the link above.

In addition, the Workforce Alliance and American Job Center offices in New Haven, Meriden and Middletown are helping people out virtually. Click here to see what they are offering and how you can connect to their services.

Library Resource Page
Check out this page of resources we've put together for all kinds of fun activities and things to explore while you're stuck at home.

Virtual Activities from the State of CT
Here is a list from the state of CT of virtual activities, streams, tours and classes from popular attractions across CT. Find online experiences from museums, zoos, aquariums, nature and science centers, theater companies, yoga and fitness studios, historical societies, wineries, and many more.

Canoe Brook Center Resources for Seniors
 
Coronavirus Information

Town of Branford updates
CDC website
NIH website
WHO website
Live CNN Updates


Yale New Haven Health Hotline
Yale has opened up a call center for individuals with questions about COVID-19. Call 833-275-9644. For more info, click here.

Sign up for State Alerts from the Governor
Sign up here and get state news & alerts from the governor about Coronavirus and COVID-19.
Please visit our website for the most up-to-date information on the library closure and status of library programs.
We miss you and hope to see you soon. Until then, please stay well.
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