We’ve gathered local, state, and national resources for businesses and individuals here.

Business Resources

Local City & County Resources

City of Rochester: Business Loans, Services, and Grants

Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce: Corona Virus Planning Resources

Kiva Rochester: Working capital loans at 0% to hold your small business over. KivaRoc Hotline available Monday-Friday 2-4 p.m. Call or Text 585-210-0573 to schedule a chat.

The Community Foundation: COVID-19 related resources for non-profits and small businesses

NYS Resources

The Business Council: NYS Corona Virus Paid Sick Leave

National

Small Business Administration:  Economic Injury Disaster Loans

AVOID BUSINESS SCAMS AND FRAUD: The Small Business Administration (SBA) does not initiate contact on either 7a or Disaster loans or grants. If you are proactively contacted by someone claiming to be from the SBA, suspect fraud.

 If you are contacted by someone promising to get you approved for a Small Business Administration (SBA) loan, but requires any payment upfront or offers a high-interest bridge loan in the interim, suspect fraud. If you have a question about getting an SBA disaster loan, call 800-659-2955 or send an email to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.

If you are in the process of applying for a Small Business Administration (SBA) loan and receive email correspondence asking for personal identifying information (PII), ensure that the referenced application number is consistent with the actual application number. Any email communication from the SBA will come from accounts ending with sba.gov.The presence of an SBA logo on a webpage does not guaranty the information is accurate or endorsed by the SBA. Please cross-reference any information you receive with information available at www.sba.gov.

Federal Emergency Management Agency: News Releases

Operation HOPE: Virtual Financial Recovery Support to Individuals and Small Businesses Affected by COVID-19

USA.gov: Financial Assistance after a Disaster

US Chamber of Commerce Foundation: Coronavirus Response Resources

Paul Weiss COVID-19 Relief Center: National and state resources

Paycheck Protection Program: The newly launched federal Paycheck Protection Program is a loan designed to provide a direct incentive for small businesses (including nonprofits) to keep their workers on the payroll. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) will forgive loans if all employees are kept on the payroll for eight weeks and the money is used for payroll, rent, mortgage interest, or utilities.

Unemployment & Job Seekers

Local Resources

Job Portal for Essential Businesses and Job Seekers

RochesterWorks!: COVID-19 resources.

State Resources

Unemployment Insurance Benefits: Updated FAQs

How to file a claim for unemployment benefits

File a claim now *^

*Important – If you are filing a new Unemployment Insurance claim, the day you should apply is based on the first letter of your last name.

A – F file on Monday | G – N file on Tuesday | O – Z file on Wednesday

Missed your day? File on Thurs-Fri-Sat

Any claim you file will be backdated to the date you became unemployed. If you are eligible, you will be paid for all benefits due.

^ Important – It is necessary to have a NYS ID to file for unemployment online.

Federal CARES Act- What you need to know and Do

• Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) Checklist
• Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) Flowchart
• Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) What you need to know

National Resources

Indeed: Find a virtual job fair

LinkedIN: Job search.

Local Shelters

Open Door Mission at 56 N Plymouth Avenue is reducing the number of guests in the dining room during meal service by implementing a “Grab & Go” system. For more information call (585) 454-6696.

St. Joseph’s House of Hospitality at 402 South Avenue provides sandwiches and packed lunches. For more information please call 585-232-3262.

Cameron Community Ministries at 48 Cameron Street provides lunch to go Monday-Friday from 12 – 1:30 p.m. Sunday Dinner is closed until further notice. For more information please call 254-2697.

Dimitri House at 102 North Union Street serves individuals and families living in zip codes 14604, 14605, 14607, and 14609 once every 30 days by appointment. No referral is necessary. Please call 585-325-1796 to schedule an appointment.

St Peter’s Kitchen at 681 Brown Street provides lunches to go Monday-Friday from 12 – 1:15 p.m. For more information please call 585-235-6511.

Avoiding Fraud & Scams

Times of crisis often bring out the best in people. Unfortunately, for others, they see it as an opportunity to take advantage. To protect yourself, make sure you get your news and information from reputable  outlets and remember the adage “if it seems too good to be true…” Before making any important decisions be sure to consult with a trusted friend, family member, your physician, or your financial advisor.

Federal Trade Commission: Coronavirus Scams: What the FTC is Doing

United States Department of Justice: Coronavirus (COVID-19)

United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General: COVID-19 Fraud Alerts

National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline: Call 866-720-5721 or email disaster@leo.gov to report any fraud related to COVID-19 virus (Coronavirus)

Federal Communications Commission: COVID-19 Consumer Warnings and Safety Tips

Better Business Bureau: Tips on COVID-19

Consumer Finance Protection Board: Beware of Scams Related to the Coronavirus

New York State Attorney General: Guidance on Coronavirus Resources and Warnings about Consumer Scams

United States Department of Health and Human Services: Fraud Alert: COVID-19 Scams

Federal Bureau of Investigation: FBI Urges Vigilance During COVID-19 Pandemic

National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association: COVID-19 Anti-Fraud Resources

Federal Emergency Management Agency: Coronavirus Rumor Control

 

Financial Literacy Resources

Rochester Financial Empowerment Center: Free one-on-one financial counseling for all residents of Monroe County. To speak to a counselor please call 585-252-7110.

Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Rochester is a non-profit organization that has helped hundreds of thousands of individuals and families deal with financial difficulties. Certified professionals provide confidential counseling, educational services and other solutions enabling clients to meet their financial goals. Customer service lines are open from 9a-5pm Monday through Friday and our counselors are available Monday-Thurs 8a-8p, Friday 8a-5p. Please call (585) 546-3440.

360 Degrees of Financial Literacy from the American Institute of CPAs: Money Minutes. An interactive video series to help improve your personal finance know-how in just minutes. During each session, you’ll hear straight from professional CPAs on topics like budgeting, saving and managing debt, and then complete a short quiz at the end to test your new knowledge.

FINRA Investor Education Foundation: Investor Education Library

Thinking Money: The Psychology Behind Our Best and Worst Financial Decisions. (on local PBS station, WXXI). Host Dave Coyne leads viewers through an exploration of what behavioral economics reveals about why we spend, save (or don’t save) and the way we think about money. Dave meets with innovative thinkers who mix economics with psychology. Their experiments and insights into our financial behavior teach us to recognize how our brains and the marketplace can trick us into spending money we shouldn’t.

Thinking Money: Practical Solutions. As a follow up program to the successful national release of the documentary Thinking Money: The Psychology Behind our Best and Worst Financial Decisions, MPT created a community event and produced a new program to expand upon the lessons learned from the original documentary.

Operation Hope: COVID-19 Disaster Response. Operation HOPE is a for-purpose organization working to disrupt poverty and empower inclusion for low and moderate-income youth and adults. Call their HOTLINE: 1- 888-388-HOPE (4673) or REGISTER for Virtual Financial Recovery Coaching

TD Ameritrade: Videos for beginning to experienced investors.

 

Online Educational Opportunities

Are you sheltering in place and want to make the most of your time? Have you always wanted to take a course on the pyramids of Giza, or macroeconomics? These online courses are free and cover a wide array of topics; there is something for everyone.

All Topics

eCornell Keynotes: Be Informed. Be Inspired. Experience the Best of Cornell, Live and On Demand.

Coursera: Coursera collaborates with 190+ leading universities and companies

edX: As a global nonprofit, edX is transforming traditional education, removing the barriers of cost, location, and access. Course content includes urban planning, civil engineering, and data science.

MIT Open Learning Library: Includes coursework on urban planning and design, management, and more.

Harvard University Online Courses: Select “free” in the price tab.

Open Culture: Free culture and education media.

Business Specific

SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) Courses on Demand: From brand development to creating a profit and loss statement, and everything in between.

Gartner: Webinars from a leading research and advisory company.

EntreSkills: Online courses in entrepreneurial education sponsored by the NYS Small Business Development Center International Trade Council: The ITC is an internationally renowned apex chamber of commerce, providing services to chambers, business associations, export councils, government trade agencies and businesses alike.

International Trade Council: The ITC is an internationally renowned apex chamber of commerce, providing services to chambers, business associations, export councils, government trade agencies, and businesses alike.