COVID-19 Community Resources
This page has been archived.
This page is dedicated to the many resources available to the Mercer Island Community.
This page has been archived.
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Reopening on Mercer Island
Share Reopening on Mercer Island on Facebook Share Reopening on Mercer Island on Twitter Share Reopening on Mercer Island on Linkedin Email Reopening on Mercer Island linkAs shops and services reopen in the coming weeks, don’t forget to support your local Mercer Island businesses!
Whether you need to fill up the tank, go for that long-awaited haircut, buy a gift for your grad, or pick up a few grilling tools for your summer BBQ, shop local and help your Island businesses recover.
Not sure where to start? Browse the Mercer Island Business Guide, which includes hours of operation, websites, delivery information, and more for more than 250 Island businesses.
Many thanks to Jim Eanes, Lisa Sharples & Fexy Media, and the Mercer Island Chamber of Commerce for compiling this free digital resource.
Shop local and spend like it matters!
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How to Help
Share How to Help on Facebook Share How to Help on Twitter Share How to Help on Linkedin Email How to Help linkWant to help but not sure how? Here are a few ways you can help your neighbors nearby and within the region:
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Financial Assistance Programs
Share Financial Assistance Programs on Facebook Share Financial Assistance Programs on Twitter Share Financial Assistance Programs on Linkedin Email Financial Assistance Programs linkThere are a number of financial assistance programs to help Islanders navigate these challenging times.
This page serves as a clearinghouse for the information we’ve collected on various financial assistance programs. If we’ve missed something, please let us know using the comments section below.
Emergency Assistance including Rental Help
City B&O Tax Deadline Extension
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Emergency Assistance
Share Emergency Assistance on Facebook Share Emergency Assistance on Twitter Share Emergency Assistance on Linkedin Email Emergency Assistance linkUPDATED April 10
The Emergency Assistance Program at MIYFS serves Mercer Island residents experiencing financial challenges. Resources include case management and financial assistance with basic needs such as food, rent, and utilities.
Please reach out to the MIYFS Emergency Assistance Coordinator, Cheryl Manriquez, cheryl.manriquez@mercergov.org, if you are in need of assistance accessing financial resources. Click on the following for additional information about:
King County has also compiled resources and information about food access programs and services to help support King County residents during this difficult time.
Rental Assistance
United Way has announce an expanded program of rental assistance beginning on Friday April 10, 2020. Thanks to generous donations to the Community Relief Fund and a variety of community partners, one month of rental assistance is being offered to people in King County struggling to pay rent due to the coronavirus.
Listed below are the requirements to qualify and a link to the application. Funds are available on a first come, first served basis. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible
If you’re a King County resident who has been impacted financially by COVID-19 and are behind on your rent, you may qualify for assistance.
You may apply for this assistance if you:
- Live in King County, WA
- Are behind in rent
- Are economically impacted by COVID-19
- Have a current monthly household income that is below these amounts (50% of Area Median Income):
- 1 Person: up to $3,483
- 2 Persons: up to $3,983
- 3 Persons: up to $4,479
- 4 Persons: up to $4,975
- 5 Persons: up to $5,375
- 6 Persons: up to $5,775
- 1 Person: up to $3,483
If you meet these requirements, please fill out the online application at www.uwkc.org/renthelp or call 2-1-1.
Regionally, 2-1-1 is a resource available to the Mercer Island community.
- Live in King County, WA
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Forever Young, and Also Over 60
Share Forever Young, and Also Over 60 on Facebook Share Forever Young, and Also Over 60 on Twitter Share Forever Young, and Also Over 60 on Linkedin Email Forever Young, and Also Over 60 linkPublished by the Washington State Department of Health on April 13
In Washington, 92 percent of the deaths from COVID-19 have occurred in people age 60 and over. People of any age can get COVID-19. In fact, 65 percent of the people who have tested positive in Washington are younger than 60. Most cases are mild, but, people age 60 and older are at higher risk of getting very sick or dying if they get COVID-19.
If you are age 60 or older, it is very important that you stay home and take care of yourself. Follow these steps to stay as healthy as possible.Take care of your body
Take deep breaths, stretch, or meditate. Eat nourishing foods, exercise regularly, and get plenty of sleep. These things protect your immune system.
Make time to unwind
Try to do some other activities you enjoy. Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories and social media about COVID-19. Hearing about the pandemic repeatedly can be upsetting.
Connect with others
Stay connected. Talk with people you trust about your concerns and how you are feeling. If you don’t know your neighbors or have someone who can pick up supplies for you, connect to your community by joining your local Nextdoor group.
Have a plan for if you get sick
CDC has a form on which you can list your current health conditions and treatments. If you have a caregiver, determine who can care for you if your caregiver gets sick.
Keep your medicine cabinet stocked
Be sure you have over-the-counter medicines and medical supplies (tissues, thermometer, etc.) to treat fever and other symptoms. Most people will be able to recover from COVID-19 at home.
Stay in touch with others by phone or email
You may need to ask for help from friends, family, neighbors, and community health workers if you get sick.
Stay home
Consider ways of getting medications and food brought to your house through family, friends, online shopping, mail-order, or delivery services.
Do you have more questions?
Gov. Inslee and Secretary of Health John Wiesman have started a question and answer mini-series for seniors to answer questions about how to stay healthy and maintain connection with loved ones. New episodes will air Thursdays at 6:00 p.m. If you would like to submit a question for future programs, email aarpwa@aarp.org. Please include “Spread the Facts” in the subject line. If you submit a short video of your question, you might appear on air as part of the program!
Practice compassion
If someone you love is over age 60, see if you can help them stay home by running important errands to pick up medications, groceries, or other supplies for them.
More information
Stay tuned to our blog for more information on how you can help stop the spread of COVID-19. Sign up to be notified whenever we post new articles.
Information in this blog changes rapidly. Check the state’s COVID-19 website for up-to-date and reliable info at coronavirus.wa.gov.
Answers to your questions or concerns about COVID-19 in Washington state may be found at our website. You can also contact our call center at 1–800–525–0127. Hours: 6 am-10 pm, seven days a week.
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Ways to Help: Donate Blood
Share Ways to Help: Donate Blood on Facebook Share Ways to Help: Donate Blood on Twitter Share Ways to Help: Donate Blood on Linkedin Email Ways to Help: Donate Blood linkThere is a desperate need for blood donations.
Considered an essential service, Bloodworks Northwest and the Red Cross continue to schedule donation appointments.
Donation appointments are scheduled several weeks out. To help maintain donor safety, appointments are spread out to ensure social distancing guidelines are met and that staff have time to sanitize between appointments. For more information about what Bloodworks Northwest and the Red Cross are doing to ensure donor safety, visit their coronavirus information pages linked below.
It’s important for donors to make future appointments throughout the month of April and May to ensure blood supplies are replenished and stabilized.
Bloodworks Northwest
Coronavirus safety: www.bloodworksnw.org/about/news/coronavirus
Call 800-398-7888 or visit schedule.bloodworksnw.org to schedule an appointment.
Red Cross
Coronavirus safety: www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/dlp/coronavirus--covid-19--and-blood-donation.html
Visit https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/find-drive to schedule an appointment.
Availability of Donation Appointments: With thousands of blood drives cancelled during the COVID-19 pandemic, we are working hard to open new donation sites. If you don’t see available appointments near you in the near future, please search 14 days out or beyond. The need for blood is constant - patients need your help.
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Ways to Help: Donate Gift Cards to the MI Food Pantry
Share Ways to Help: Donate Gift Cards to the MI Food Pantry on Facebook Share Ways to Help: Donate Gift Cards to the MI Food Pantry on Twitter Share Ways to Help: Donate Gift Cards to the MI Food Pantry on Linkedin Email Ways to Help: Donate Gift Cards to the MI Food Pantry linkTo help ensure safe hygiene practices, the Mercer Island Food Panty has moved from food donations to grocery gift card donations.
Please consider donating a gift card to the Mercer Island Food Pantry. Gift cards to local stores including New Seasons or QFC, in $25 or $50 denominations, would be greatly appreciated!
Please drop-off your gift card donation at the City Hall Parking Lot Drop Box (9611 SE 36th St; pictured below) or mail to:
Youth & Family Services
2040 84th Avenue SE
Mercer Island, WA 98040
Thank you!
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Ways to Help: Spend Like It Matters. Shop Local.
Share Ways to Help: Spend Like It Matters. Shop Local. on Facebook Share Ways to Help: Spend Like It Matters. Shop Local. on Twitter Share Ways to Help: Spend Like It Matters. Shop Local. on Linkedin Email Ways to Help: Spend Like It Matters. Shop Local. linkMercer Island’s local businesses and nonprofit organizations are part of the heart and soul of this community. And right now they need your help! Every dollar you spend on the Island is an investment back into your community.
While you’re staying home and staying healthy, consider these ways to support your favorite Island businesses from afar.
- Be patient and kind – Businesses are operating at reduced capacity and staffing; everyone is doing their best.
- Order out – Many local restaurants offer take-out or delivery services. Avoid a trip to the grocery store and give yourself a break by ordering by ordering a meal to bring home.
- Buy gift cards or prepay for services – Stock up on gift cards for future use, and contact your stylist, dentist, trainer, or other service providers to book a future appointment.
- Shop online or by phone – Visit websites and Facebook pages to learn which businesses offer ordering from afar. Many businesses will deliver to your door.
- Take a virtual fitness class – Many gyms and fitness studios have moved classes online to keep you fit and active at home.
- Don’t forget your local nonprofits – The Island’s arts, culture, community service, and other organizations lift the community up and meet vital needs, too. Consider donating to support them.
- Shout out businesses on social media – Tell your friends and family about your favorite Island shop or restaurant. Don’t forget to tag businesses for that extra boost!
- If you need to leave home for essentials, Shop Local – Need to fill up the tank or fill up your pantry? Stay on the Island to support essential businesses like gas stations, grocery stores, and pharmacies.
- Offer thanks – When you go out for what you (truly) need, thank the employees who are hard at work. A simple thank you makes a huge difference.
