Lancaster Mayor Danene Sorace discusses the city’s coronavirus response during a “Live at Five” Facebook chat on Monday, April 20, 2020. Covid-19 headlines for Wednesday, April 22, 2020: • County balks at state NDA: Lancaster County commissioners say the nondisclosure agreement state officials want them to sign in order to receive detailed Covid-19 data contains…
Information About Covid-19 Coronavirus in Lancaster County, PA
Daily Policy Update
Each day a summary of news and information that has been gathered from community partners and credible news sites will be posted. State Government: General CoVid resources: https://www.pa.gov/guides/responding-to-covid-19/ Dept of Education: “Wolf Administration Submits State Plan Request to Support Food Access for Students During COVID-19 Crisis” : https://www.media.pa.gov/Pages/Education-Details.aspx?newsid=835 Dept of Human Services:…
COVID Resource Guide for Older Adults
The Pennsylvania Department of Aging has launched an online COVID-19 resource guide – providing easy, useful information on meals, prescriptions, scams, staying safe, active and connected for older adults, their families, and caregivers. The guide contains a list of resources, programs and services that are provided.
Urgent: Social Security recipients must register dependents by Wednesday to receive full stimulus benefit
People who didn’t file a tax return in 2018 or 2019 and have children must take action right away, or else they could miss out on their full coronavirus stimulus payment, the Internal Revenue Service says. In addition to the base payment of $1,200, people are entitled to an additional $500 per eligible child. But…
Daily Policy Update
Each day a summary of news and information that has been gathered from community partners and credible news sites will be posted. Governor Wolf: 4/18 “Gov. Wolf Announces Nearly $16 Million in Funding for Pennsylvania Food Banks” : https://www.governor.pa.gov/newsroom/gov-wolf-announces-nearly-16-million-in-funding-for-pennsylvania-food-banks/ “Gov. Wolf: Access to Food Assistance, Healthcare through Safety-Net Programs Available During COVID-19” : https://www.governor.pa.gov/newsroom/gov-wolf-access-to-food-assistance-healthcare-through-safety-net-programs-available-during-covid-19/…
News: Tuesday April 21
(Source: Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health) Covid-19 headlines for Tuesday, April 21, 2020: • Weather to close testing sites today: The Lancaster County outdoor coronavirus testing sites at Clipper Magazine Stadium and the Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences at 850 Greenfield Road will close at noon due to expected high winds. Plans are to reopen…
Starting a new career during Covid-19
“Rosie,” a recent graduate from Tec Centro’s Physician Office Assistant program. (Source: SACA) A mother of two had no sooner graduated from Tec Centro’s Physician Office Assistant Program than she found herself in the midst of the Covid-19 crisis. The 2020 graduate, identified by a pseudonym, “Rosie,” works for a local hospital. Tec Centro is…
New Features on IRS Website Help Americans Receive Stimulus Payments
Millions of Americans struggling during the COVID-19 economic slowdown have been waiting on stimulus checks promised by the federal government. If you’re one of them, here’s an update: The IRS just launched a portal to track and manage your imminent payout. Payments for Non-Filers People who filed a federal income tax return in 2018 or…
Pa. releases Covid-19 data by ZIP code
A screenshot shows a portion of the Pennsylvania Health Department’s Covid-19 map by ZIP code as of Monday, April 20, 2020. Pennsylvania has added Covid-19 data by ZIP code to its collection of online resources. The new data expands on the state’s county level data. Both levels of data are available as tabs on a…
Eye of the Storm?
For many of us, we are halfway into a fifth week of working from home. Or as I read somewhere in passing: “At home during a crisis and trying to work”, and I think that’s a pretty accurate description of circumstance for many people. At 8pm on April 1st, Governor Wolf declared the entire state…
Nonprofits: PPP rollout was a mess
Nonprofits and their advocates nationwide say the federal government badly botched the launch of the Paycheck Protection Program. “The rollout has been a disaster,” Kate Barr, CEO of Propel Nonprofits, told Nonprofit Quarterly. Propel, based in Minnesota provides financial and consulting services to the sector. Part of the $2 trillion CARES Act, the PPP is…
News: Monday April 20
(Source: Wikimedia Commons) Covid-19 headlines for Monday, April 20, 2020: • Protest at noon today: Opponents of Gov. Wolf’s coronavirus stay-at-home order are planning a rally at the state capitol. (Source: PennLive) • Mandatory protocols take effect: Customers entering a business in Pennsylvania must now wear masks. Businesses must provide masks to employees and limit…
Gov. Wolf outlines plan for reopening Pa.
Gov. Tom Wolf went on television Friday to lay out a plan for reopening Pennsylvania after the shutdown he ordered due to coronavirus. As outlined in Wolf’s speech and on the governor’s website, the plan incorporates six key standards: Our approach will be data driven and reliant upon quantifiable criteria to drive a targeted, evidence-based,…
Food pantries are coping with Covid-19, but wonder what lies ahead
Dietician Laura Sahd wears a mask at the Lancaster County Food Hub. Sahd, of Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health, is community dietician for Food Farmacy, a nutrition counseling pilot program for at-risk individuals. (Photo provided by Lancaster County Food Hub) Lancaster County food pantries and food banks say they’re seeing a lot of new faces…
News: Friday, April 17
The Red Rose Transit Authority’s Queen Street Station in Lancaster. (Source: Dough4872 | Wikimedia Commons) Covid-19 headlines for Friday, April 17, 2020: • Penn State Hershey joins Covid-19 study: Penn State Hershey Medical Center will participate in clinical trials of remdesivir, a potential Covid-19 treatment. It is one of 75 institutions taking part worldwide. Penn…
How the New Charitable Deduction Works
As more and more nonprofits struggle to meet the increased demand of people affected by COVID-19, there is a new financial incentive for Americans to give generously to qualifying charities, including United Way of Lancaster County and many of our community partners. The new universal tax break for charitable donations was included in the final…
Site update: New links on finance, federal aid
OneUnitedLancaster has added two links to the Resources for Nonprofits page that may be helpful to organizations’ leadership teams and financial professionals: • Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants Coronavirus (Covid-19) Resources & Updates: See in particular PICPA’s material on the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and CARES Act, which includes recommendations for applying and and…
News: Thursday, April 16
Armed protesters on the steps of Michigan’s Capitol on Wednesday, April 15, 2020. Covid-19 headlines for Thursday, April 16, 2020: • Masks mandatory for customers, employees: Gov. Tom Wolf signed an order Wednesday imposing new public health requirements on businesses. Customers without face coverings are to be denied entry. The rule takes effect Sunday evening.…