Housing and Renting

• The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) offers assistance to residents who are concerned about housing, renting, foreclosure, and eviction.
• Delay Payments - The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) has instructed mortgage servicers to allow borrowers whose mortgages are owned by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac to delay payments. This forbearance program allows for a mortgage payment to be suspended for up to 12 months due to hardship caused by the coronavirus.
• Eviction and Foreclosure Moratorium - The FHFA have announced a nationwide eviction and foreclosure moratorium for borrowers of Fannie or Freddie mortgages, or borrowers whose loans are backed by the Federal Housing Administration — so-called F.H.A. loans. This includes foreclosures that are already in progress.To find out if Fannie or Freddie own your mortgage, you can search your address on this federal government site.
• FAQ Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Assistance Options for Families Impacted by Covid-19
• Justshelter.org is a great resource for renters. It offers information on local organizations that can provide advice to renters in distress.
• Eviction Lab has published a list of local and regional actions to pause evictions of renters.
• The emergency stimulus bill put a temporary, nationwide eviction moratorium in place for any renters whose landlords have mortgages backed or owned by Fannie, Freddie or the F.H.A. This will last through the end of July, and landlords can’t charge any fees or penalties for nonpayment of rent either. If the landlord’s mortgage is not in forbearance, renters who skip payments could be risking eviction if there has not been a local prohibition.

CHILDCARE

• The Early Learning Coalition of Osceola County
  • Child Care as a Critical Support in Osceola County
• 4C - Community Coordinated Care for Children

• 

SENIOR CARE ASSISTANCE

• The Osceola Council on Aging offers Adult Day Care, Building Strong Families (Energy Assistance), Weatherization, In-Home Services and Nutrition programs, Meals on Wheels, and a Drive-Thru Food Pantry. Phone: 407-846-8532.
  Click here for the most up-to-date information from the Council on Aging.
• Meals of Love delivers restaurant-prepared meals to the homes of seniors and disabled adults. Meals of Love is currently accepting applications for seniors and disabled adults who are interested in meal delivery and restaurants that would like to prepare meals. For more information visit mealsoflove.org.

Food Pantries and Meal Assistance

• The Osceola County School District's School Nutrition Services Department will provide FREE breakfast and lunch to children 18 years and under during the extended school closure between March 23 through May 1, 2020. 
• Free Meals to Help Feed Kids - County-by-county food resources for children.
• www.FeedHopeNow.org/findfood is the fastest way to find pantries in your community that are open during this crisis and providing help to those in need.
• Meals of Love delivers restaurant-prepared meals to the homes of seniors and disabled adults. 

Osceola County recognizes the continuous work of our local food pantries to assist our residents impacted by COVID-19. In order to address a shortage of resources at our food pantries, we will be providing gap funding to key organizations beginning the week of April 6, 2020, and support these non-profits in their dedication to feed those in need in our community.

Residents in need are encouraged to contact the following organizations to determine availability and distribution times. Hours of operation will vary and resources are limited.

• Anointed Victorious Outreach, 1901 S. Poinciana Blvd., Kissimmee 34758, 954-393-9768
• Church of Agape Love, 1548 Tallahassee Blvd., Intercession City 33848, 863-651-6878/407-319-7876
• Community Hope Center, 2198 Four Winds Blvd., Kissimmee 34746, 321-677-0245
• One United Mission, 1751 Ball Park Road, Kissimmee 34741, 407-766-4749
• Iglesia Cristiana Renuevo, 290 Competition Drive, Kissimmee 34743, 407-870-0083
• Iglesia De Dios Pentecostal M.I., 2519 Fortune Road, Kissimmee 34744, 407-922-1671
• Living Water Fellowship, 4101 Pleasant Hill Road, Kissimmee 34746, Pastor Daniel Figueroa 407-600-9534               
• St. Rose of Lima, 3870 Pleasant Hill Road, Kissimmee 34746, 407-932-5004                
• Advanced Senior Center, 2260 E. Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway, Kissimmee 34744, 407-350-3311
• Church and Community Assistance Program, 10 S. Orlando Ave., Kissimmee 34741, 407-750-6017
• Osceola Council on Aging, 700 Generation Point, Kissimmee 34744, 407-847-2144
• Salvation Army, 700 Union Street, Kissimmee, 34741, 407-944-9968
• St. John Episcopal Church-Trinity House, 1709 N. John Young Parkway, Kissimmee 34741, 267-650-0622
• Summit Bible Church, 1901 S. John Young Parkway, Kissimmee 34741, 407-483-1688
• St. Cloud Community Pantry, 901 Missouri Ave., St. Cloud 34769, 407-892-7070

JOB LOSS AND UNEMPLOYMENT

• Florida Department of Economic Opportunity - If your employment has been negatively impacted as a result of the mitigation efforts in Florida to stop the spread of COVID-19, you may be eligible to receive Reemployment Assistance. You can file your unemployment claim online on the Reemployment Assistance Center.
  • The Florida DEO has released a new mobile-friendly site for Floridians to apply for reemployment assistance.
  • Video Guide - How to Complete the Reemployment Application
  • Reemployment Assistance Process FAQ
  • E-mail a reemployment assistance agent
• DEO Hotlines:
  • Reemployment Assistance Hotline 1-800-204-2418 or RA Virtual Service
  • Reemployment Appeals Hearings Hotline 1-800-732-8212
  • FRAUD HOTLINE 1-800-342-9909
• CareerSource Central Florida provides information for displaced workers and resources for reemployment, unemployment filings, job fairs, and more.
• USAJOBS.gov - The Federal Government is looking to fill various positions to help respond to and fight COVID-19. View open positions.

HEALTH AND WELFARE

• Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) ACCESS offers Food Assistance (SNAP), Temporary Cash Assistance (TANF), and Medicaid.
  • Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) is a supplemental benefit for households with children who have temporarily lost access to free or reduced-price school meals due to pandemic-related school closures. Read the P-EBT FAQ here.
  • Starting April 21: Florida’s SNAP recipients will be able to use EBT cards to make eligible food purchases online from Walmart and Amazon. DCF will continue to coordinate with the USDA and the Florida Retail Federation to expand the network of retailers participating in the pilot program. Read more about the online EBT purchasing pilot program.
  • Click here for the most up-to-date resources from DCF. Changes are updated daily.
  • Maximum Monthly Allotment - DCF has submitted a federal waiver to temporarily increase all Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients’ benefit amounts to the maximum monthly allotment based on household size.
  • Recertification Extension - To ensure Floridians can safely access SNAP, TANF, and Medicaid benefits, DCF has implemented a six-month recertification extension for individuals and families scheduled to recertify in April or May. Extending the recertification period, allows the state to ensure the continuity of, and safe access to, SNAP, TANF, and Medicaid benefits during the current public health crisis and periods of social distancing.
  • Work Requirements Waiver - DCF will waive work requirements for individuals participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. DCF and the Department of Economic Opportunity have partnered to apply good cause statewide for TANF and SNAP recipients normally subject to participate in mandatory work requirements as a condition to receive program benefits effective immediately. The temporary suspension of mandatory work requirements will alleviate any undue burden during this public health emergency on individuals normally required to participate in these programs with no disruptions to the receipt of cash and/or food assistance benefits.
  • Maintain Medicaid Eligibility - DCF will maintain Medicaid eligibility for current recipients through the last day of the month of the state of emergency. This means no Medicaid recipient will lose Medicaid eligibility during the state of emergency. DCF is working on notifying recipients who may have received a termination notice in the month of March that their benefits will continue.
  • Extend Time to Complete Medicaid Application - During this state of emergency, individuals applying for Medicaid may be unable to submit all the documentation required to process their application. Beginning with applications received in February 2020, DCF is extending the timeframe for individuals to submit any necessary paperwork to 120 days from the date the application was received. If the Medicaid application is approved, the individual’s Medicaid eligibility effective date will still be the first day of the month that the initial application was received. 
• Coverage and Benefits Related to COVID-19 Medicaid and CHIP.
• 26Health is Central Florida’s Comprehensive LGBTQ Health Center. As part of their commitment to the community both around and beyond Central Florida, they have initiated their  Emergency Response Plan. Online support groups and assistance programs are open to anyone, regardless of whether or not they are an active patient with 26Health.
• The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Distress Helpline provides 24-hours-a-day, 365-days-a-year crisis counseling and support to people experiencing emotional distress related to natural or human-caused disasters.

  To connect with a trained crisis counselor:
  • Call 1-800-985-5990 (press "2" for Spanish)
  • TalkWithUs to 66746

  Spanish Speakers:
  • Call 1-800-985-5990 and press "2"
  • From the U.S., text Hablanos to 66746

HOUSEHOLD ASSISTANCE

• Spectrum offers assistance for families and communities in need.
• Comcast Internet Support for Customers during COVID-19
• AT&T Support for Customers During COVID-19