April 21 Update

New York City has announced that they will be providing three kosher “grab and go” meals per day for any New Yorker that requests them. This announcement comes after a major push by Agudath Israel along with other groups for kosher meals for Orthodox Jewish children and their families in NYC during the pandemic. There will be ten sites in Brooklyn and Queens that will provide these meals free of charge. Some sites will open tomorrow; others will open on Thursday.

To see the kashrus certification, click here.

Please click here for the list of pick up locations for these meals.

Last week many households began receiving stimulus payments from the IRS as part of the CARES Act. Most adults have been receiving $1200 for single filers and $2400 for joint filers with an additional $500 for every child through age 16 up to designated income levels. If the IRS has your bank account information you should receive a direct deposit into your account. If you have not received your payment you may be able to find out why by clicking here. If the IRS does not have your bank information, you will be mailed a check. That may take up to a few weeks. If you have never filed taxes before you can click here to enter your payment information.

The New York State Department of Labor has partnered with Google to develop an updated website for unemployment benefits. The surge of new filings has overwhelmed an antiquated online system and phone-based verification, leading the state to scramble to bulk up the number of people handling calls, add new server capacity and tap Google to work on the new online filing system.

The process has been streamlined with fewer questions. If any information is left blank, it’s will say, ‘Don’t call us, we will call you within 72 hours.’ … They’re going to be reaching out directly so people don’t have to go through the infuriating process of calling, getting busy signals and thereby crashing the system.

To access the new system, please click here

Governor Cuomo has announced that schools and nonessential businesses will stay closed through May 15th. Non-essential workers must continue to stay home while social distancing rules remain in place. He also issued an executive order requiring all people in New York to wear masks or face coverings in public, including when taking public or private transportation or riding in for-hire vehicles.

Alternate Side of the Street Parking in New York City remains suspended until at least April 28^th. However, Parking Meters remain in effect.

Our friends at Boro Park Jewish Community Council have created a very useful website containing important information for small business owners. Among other things, the website details the various loans and grants available for small businesses. Please click here for more information.