The COVID-19 pandemic has been incredibly challenging for most San Diego residents. The social distancing measures imposed by the government have completely changed the way we work and live our day-to-day lives.

These measures have been particularly difficult for at-risk groups, including senior citizens, people with disabilities, and families with limited financial resources.

Many San Diego residents in these at-risk groups are finding it difficult to get the food and medicine they require during this time. It has also made the world a much lonelier place for many of us, as we cannot socialize as easily.

Fortunately, there are dozens of community organizations operating in the San Diego area which can provide help. These groups offer a wide range of services including food deliveries, caregiver support, entertainment, and medical advice. This article will share an extensive list of the many organizations offering help during this time.

If you require home care services for yourself or a loved one, you can also contact All Heart Home Care at (619) 736-4677. We are the leading provider of home care services in San Diego. We have a large team of skilled caregivers standing by to provide the help you need.

Food Resources for Seniors

San Diego Meals On Wheels

The Meals on Wheels Association of America (MOWAA) is one of the largest and oldest food programs for older Americans. They are a non-profit organization working toward the nutritional, social, physical, and economic betterment of senior citizens.

Meals On Wheels food deliveries are available to San Diego residents 60 years of age or over and their caretakers. Disabled Veterans can also use Meals on Wheels. EBT recipients can receive discounted meals. Contact Meals On Wheels: (619) 260-6110 or via https://www.meals-on-wheels.org/.

County of San Diego Meals for Pick-up and Home Delivery Sites

San Diego’s Aging & Independence Services (AIS) department runs several nutrition centers, which provide nutritious meals to San Diego residents over the age of 60. These meals are available from a variety of sites in the county, and home delivery is also available.

The organization has temporarily closed indoor venues to prevent spread of COVID-19. However, meals can still be picked up, and some sites continue to offer home delivery. View the County of San Diego Senior Nutrition Centers list to find the phone number of a local nutrition center.

Jewish Family Service (JFS)

The JFS is one of San Diego’s largest non-profit human services agencies. They provide a wide range of services to help seniors and families in need of assistance. This includes a FoodMobile program, which provides discounted meals to San Diego residents over the age of 60 and anyone with disabilities. Contact the Jewish Family Service on (858) 637-3210 or by visiting https://www.jfssd.org/ to learn more.

Monica and Milano Sliwa

Monica and Milano Sliwa are two remarkable young women who have taken it upon themselves to help non-English speaking seniors living in San Diego. Their student-led organization currently has 40 volunteers who speak a variety of languages including Farsi, Chaldean, Arabic, Assyrian Neo-Aramaic, Spanish, French, and Japanese.

The students shop for and deliver food to San Diego residents 65+ and unable to shop for themselves. The service is especially useful for San Diego residents with an older relative who does not speak English well and is homebound. Contact the group by emailing [email protected].

Serving Seniors

Serving Seniors is a community organization funded by the County of San Diego Health and Human Services, Aging & Independence Services. They offer to pick up meals and meal delivery to seniors 60 years or older.

As of 3/20/2020, they have stopped taking orders for meal deliveries (because of overwhelming demand) — however meal pickups are still available. Contact Serving Seniors by calling (619) 235-6572 (select option 1) or by emailing them at [email protected]. Meals can be picked up from Mary and Gary West Senior Wellness Center: 1525 4th Ave. San Diego, CA 92101. Breakfast meals are available Monday to Friday (7 am – 8 am) and Lunch pick-up is available Monday to Friday (11 am–1 pm).

Stay Home SD

Stay Home SD provides free delivery of basic grocery necessities to San Diego residents 65 and older. Currently, seniors can place a maximum of 1 order per person per week and 2 orders per household per week. To contact Stay Home SD, call (619) 800-3252 or visit www.stayhomesd.com to place an order on their website.

Food Resources for Families

Salvation Army

The Salvation Army is one of the world’s oldest charitable organizations. They are providing free meals for children at the Salvation Army KROC Center. The meals are available weekdays, from 10am to noon. The Salvation Army KROC Center is located at: 6845 University Ave. San Diego, CA 92115.

Feeding San Diego

Feeding San Diego is a charitable organization which provides more than 26 million meals to the San Diego community each year. They provide meals to people of all ages from three San Diego locations:

• Central San Diego: Labor Council SDCCU Stadium 9449 Friars Rd., San Diego, CA 92108 Northeast Lot
• East San Diego: Salvation Army El Cajon at 1025 E Main St. El Cajon, CA 92021
• South San Diego: Ongoing – Every Tuesday and Thursday, Community Through Hope; Eucalyptus Park 436 C St. Chula Vista, CA 91910

San Diego Hunger Coalition

The San Diego Hunger Coalition is a charitable organization committed to eliminating hunger. They provide a wide range of services in San Diego including food banks, senior meals, meals for kids, and CalFresh (nutrition program). Visit their website at http://www.sandiegohungercoalition.org to learn more.

Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank

The Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank is the biggest hunger-relief organization in San Diego County. They keep a regularly updated list of the San Diego food banks which are open on their website https://sandiegofoodbank.org/gethelp/

The organization also has nearly 70 sites which are dedicated to seniors aged 60+ who are below the poverty line. Visit this link to learn more about assistance for seniors in poverty: https://sandiegofoodbank.org/programs/senior-food-program/

First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Diego

The First Unitarian Universalist Church is running a food pantry for San Diego residents. The pantry is located at 970 Broadway Suite 101 Chula Vista, CA 91911. Call (619) 271-5017 to learn more. Currently, the panty is open on Sundays (11 am – 12:30 pm), Mondays (4 pm – 5:30 pm) and Tuesdays (10:30 am – 11:30 am).

Mama’s Kitchen

Mama’s Kitchen is a community-driven organization that is dedicated to ensuring universal access to nutritious food. They focus on providing home-delivered meals and pantry services to San Diego residents who are too sick to shop and cook for themselves.

To qualify for free meals from Mama’s Kitchen, your doctor must complete a referral form. They deliver meals from Monday to Friday (10 am–4 pm). To learn more, contact Mama’s Kitchen at (619) 233-6262 or via [email protected].

Food Distribution Sites in Chula Vista

There are several food distribution sites for those in need in Chila Vista. Visit this link to learn more.

Support for Seniors, Families and Caregivers

AgeWell Service Social Calls

AgeWell’s goal is to “help older people experience a sense of wellbeing, choice and independence at every age and stage of their lives.” They provide a wide range of services including a free social call service.

This service helps older people remain in contact with others and avoid social isolation. The organizations team members provide free calls Monday to Friday between the hours of 8 am to 10 am.

The team has plenty of information on hand, so if a senior requires some sort of assistance, they can be pointed in the right direction. To be added to the call list, call (619) 239-6905 or email AgeWell at [email protected].

All Heart Home Care

All Heart Home Care has continued to operate throughout the COVID-19 epidemic and is still accepting new patients. We offer a wide range of services, which let clients remain in the comfort of their homes while receiving the care they require. This includes in-home care, transportation services, cleaning, and much more. To learn more, contact All Heart Home Care at (619) 736-4677.

Alzheimer’s San Diego Caregiver Support

Alzheimer’s San Diego Caregiver Support provides several useful services for caregivers with a loved one who has dementia. This includes free advice and online resources. To learn more, visit https://www.alzsd.org/ call (858) 492-4400, or email [email protected].

Alzheimer’s Association

This charitable organization helps caregivers by providing provide online support groups, webinars, and information about Alzheimer’s disease. During the COVID-19 crisis, all support groups are being conducted via conference calls. To learn more, visit https://alz.org/sandiego or call (800) 272-3900.

Choose Well

Choose Well is an innovative online program sponsored by the County of San Diego. They design it to help seniors and their families make informed decisions when choosing an assisted living facility. The organization also shares useful information on the quality of each facility. To learn more, visit this website or contact Choose Well by calling (858) 221-4862.

ClearCaptions

ClearCaptions provides a phone call captioning system for anyone with hearing loss. This system is particularly useful at this time, as so many people will at home and receiving phone calls instead of visiting people in person. This mobile app can be installed on most smartphones within a few minutes. To learn more, visit https://clearcaptions.com/ or call (619) 494-4452.

Community Through Hope

Community Through Hope is a non-profit organization that was launched 10 years to address food insecurity and to assist the unsheltered. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization is functioning as a drive-through food bank and diaper bank. They are currently open between Tuesday to Thursday (8 am to 10 am). To learn more, visit https://communitythroughhope.org/  

Family Proud

Family Proud is a software application which helps patients and supporters connect with one another, share resources, and manage the burden of care. It is an intuitive application that makes caregiving much easier. Learn more about the app by visiting https://www.familyproud.com/.

The Foundation for Senior Wellbeing

The Foundation for Senior Wellbeing was created to improve the wellbeing of seniors throughout North San Diego County. The organization does so by helping seniors, their families, and their caregivers access the right resources and programs. 

Their senior information center is currently closed because of COVID-19, but they continue to take phone calls remotely. They can be reached at (760) 891-8176 or (844) 654-4636, Monday to Friday (9 am to 1 pm). They are also offering a list of COVID-19 resources at https://www.thefoundationforseniorwellbeing.org/

San Diego Food Bank

The San Diego Food Bank also offers a diaper bank program, which is very useful to families at this time. View details of this program by visiting this link.

San Diego Humane Society

The San Diego Humane Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to animal welfare. They have been distributing free pet food and supplies across the San Diego area during the COVID-19 crisis. Pet owners can also visit one of the San Diego Humane Society’s locations to obtain pet food. Visit https://www.sdhumane.org/ or call (619) 299-7012 to learn more.

Sharp Senior Resource Centers

Sharp Senior Resource Centers provide useful information and resources for both seniors and caregivers. The organization also provides free health screenings, health education classes, and referrals to specialist health services. Visit their website or call (619) 740-4214 to learn more.

Silverado Hospice Online Support Groups

Silverado Hospice is offering free online support groups for healthcare workers and families. The support group for healthcare workers is held every Wednesday between 4pm to 5pm, while the support group for families is every Thursday from 12pm – 1pm.

They are a great way to connect with others and learn more about the help that is available during this time. To learn more and obtain a Zoom link for the support groups, send an email to [email protected].

Southern Caregiver Resource Center

The Southern Caregiver Resource Center provides a range of services for caregivers. This includes education, care planning, case management, counseling, respite care, and free advice.

During this crisis, the SCRC is still providing assistance to caregivers over the phone. Caregivers can also use the information that is available on the website, including podcasts, newsletters, and videos. To learn more, visit the website at https://www.caregivercenter.org and contact Southern Caregiver Resource Center on (858) 268-4432 or (800) 827-1008.

Help for Military Personnel and Veterans 

PsychArmor

PsychArmor provides resources which help Americans support military service members, veterans and their families. They help caregivers, employers, volunteers, educators, healthcare providers and everyday Americans understand the unique challenges that military personnel and veterans will face.

They have many resources available on their website, which are useful at this time. They include online education for caregivers, quarantine tips, and recipes. Visit this link to learn more.

VetAssist Program

This program is designed to help senior veterans and their surviving spouses access the Aid & Attendance pension. This pension can be used to pay for in-home care services. Learn more by visiting https://veteranshomecare.com/ or calling (562) 552-1319.

Food Delivery and Transportation Services

Food delivery and transportation services are particularly useful at this time as they make it easier to stay home and avoid potential exposure to COVID-19. There are many services available now, including:

Amazon Prime

The Amazon Prime service includes tens of thousands of products including groceries and household essentials. Items are delivered 7 days a week. Visit the Amazon Prime site to learn more.

Facilitating Access to Coordinated Transportation (FACT)

FACT provides transportation for seniors, the disabled, students, veterans and other San Diego residents who need assistance. To obtain help, call FACT at (888) 924-3228 between 8am and 3pm.

Instacart

Instacart is a popular grocery delivery service. They can deliver groceries in an as little as 1 hour within in San Diego, which makes it a great option if you need a few items quickly. Learn more at https://www.instacart.com/

LyftUp

Ride sharing company Lyft has decided to create a special program which provides medical transportation for low income seniors, LyftUp. Visit the Lyft website to learn more.

Postmates

Postmates is a popular fast food delivery service. Visit https://postmates.com/ to create an order.

UberEats

Similar to Postmates, UberEats is a great way to have food delivered to your home quickly. Book a meal at https://www.ubereats.com/

Religious Groups

Religious groups often provide community support during times of need. Here are just a few of the local San Diego churches that are offering much needed spiritual support via online church services.

• Awaken AC3 Global Church https://awakenchurch.com/
• Paul’s Cathedral https://www.stpaulcathedral.org/online-gatherings
• The Rock Church: https://www.sdrock.com/
• Congregation Beth El: Online Church Services https://www.cbe.org/
• Catholic churches https://www.sdcatholic.org/
• First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Diego https://www.firstuusandiego.org/live-stream.html

Entertainment at Home

Isolating at home can eventually become quite boring — particularly for children who are used to having an active lifestyle. Fortunately, there are many interesting websites online which can help us explore the world from the comfort of our homes. Here are a few of the best websites and online resources to check out:

• Live Science
  Live Science has created an activities guide for kids.
• Scholastic
  The Scholastic website has made the content on its website free during the pandemic. Visit their website here to learn more.
• Google Arts & Culture
  Google has high definition photographs of exhibitions from the world’s leading museums and art galleries. Visit Google Arts & Culture
• Zoo Webcams
  Although we cannot visit zoos during the crisis, we can still see what the animals are up to thanks to online webcams. This website has plenty of webcams to choose from.
• Dance with Debbie Allen
  Debbie Allen is a legendary choreographer who starred in “Fame”. She is running regular dance classes for kids on Instagram Live.
• Josh Gad Story Time
  Josh Gad is the voice behind “Olaf”, one of the characters from the hit movie Frozen. He has decided to read a storybook from his family’s library each night. It is very entraining as Josh uses his acting talents to bring the stories to life. Learn more on his Twitter feed.
• Legends of Learning
  Free math and science games for kids.

To learn more about All Heart Home Care and the services we provide, please contact our friendly team at (619) 736-4677.