Resources

Additional Resources to those listed below can be found at:  Arlington’s Safety Net.

FOOD 

Arlington EATS Market

The Arlington EATS Market is a safe space for anyone in Arlington who needs food. If you are an Arlington resident in need of food, including a variety of fresh produce, meat, dairy and canned and shelf stable food, once per week. Arlington EATS Market is open for in-person shopping three days a week by appointment only.  The Market is currently located at 74 Pleasant Street and is open Mondays 3:30pm – 7:30pm, Tuesdays 9:00am – 12:00pm, and Wednesdays 9:00am – 12:00pm.

Sign up for in-person shopping: 

Online at https://www.arlingtoneats.org/get-food/ – Sign up for a time each week that you want to come shopping. Monday and Tuesday slots are open by noon on Tuesdays, and Wednesday slots are open by noon on Wednesdays.

By Phone at 339-707-6761 – Leave a message with your name and phone number, and you will receive a call back on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Friday afternoons.

Have questions? Please contact Jane Biondi or Andi Doane.

Over 60 and need free transportation? Call the Arlington Council on Aging at 781-316-3400.

Other Food Resources

    • Mystic Community Market – 291 Mystic Avenue Medford, MA 02155, 617- 629-5120. Please call before going to inquire about hours and availability.
    • SNAP Application Assistance – Call Arlington Council on Aging (all ages) at 781-316-3400.
    • National School Lunch Program – The State of Massachusetts has received additional funding to provide households with school-aged children additional  P-EBT funds for each student.

INCOME & EMPLOYMENT 

    • United Way of Mass Bay and Merrimac Valley COVID-19 Economic Relief Fund – A network of 20 community partner agencies in Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire will help administer the fund, which will provide a one-time grant of $2,000 to help families pay for rent, bills and food. Call 1-877-211-6277 and provide your zip code and you will be provided with a list of agencies who can assist you. 

For customers without Internet service, or with language barriers or other issues that cannot be resolved online, please call 1-877-626-8700.

HOUSING 

    • Remember: if you receive a “Notice to Quit” letter from your landlord, that is just the start of the eviction process. It does not mean you have to leave your home. You have a right to stay in your home until a judge says you must leave. As soon as you are concerned about being able to hold on to your housing, please call HCA! The earlier you come to us, the better we can help. 781-859-5294.
    • As a tenant, you should know your rights — your landlord may not be following state law. Mass Legal Help has easy to understand information about issues you may be facing with your apartment.
    • The COVID-19 Rental Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) is set up to keep households in stable situations from facing housing emergencies over the loss of income, an increase in expenses or both. Households experiencing rent insecurity due to the impacts of COVID-19 may apply for financial assistance of up to $4,000 at https://www.waitlistcheck.com/application/form.php?ID=MA2977&WL=1914.
    • ERMA – RAFT has a new program called ERMA, which is a state resource fund to help  households with incomes of up to 80 percent of the area median. For more info, and to apply for both RAFT and ERMA, click here:  RAFT & ERMA Application and Info.
    • Assistance Tip: Avoid penalties for missed rent payments – In order to avoid late fees and reports to consumer reporting agencies for missed rent payments due to COVID-19, you must inform your landlord within 30 days of the non-payment that it was because of COVID-19.  The State’s website has forms that both residential and commercial tenants can use to inform their landlords or to use as a guide to write their own letters.

LEGAL

  • Cambridge and Somerville Legal Services (CASLS) can assist low-income residents in Arlington on legal issues relating to housing and state and federal benefits.  Their Boston office remains open for legal issues relating to family law, immigration, employment, and consumer issues.  Call 617-603-2700 and leave a voice mail message or visit gbls.org.  Calls are promptly returned during normal business hours, with advice and/or referrals provided.  You can also check masslegalservices.org for helpful information related to COVID-19.

OTHER RESOURCES

    •  Seniors-only (60 and older) Early Shopping Hours:
          • Stop and Shop 6:00am – 7:30am daily  
          • Whole Foods Markets and Target stores will open up an hour early (8:00am)  
          •  Traders Joe’s – select stores will open early for seniors and are limiting the number of people who can enter at a time 
          • Walmart has now added a special hour every day, from 7:00am – 8:00am,  for curbside pick-up by car for those most vulnerable to COVID-19, including frontline workers and seniors (age 60 and over).
    • Internet Essentials by Comcast – Free Internet for 60 days (if eligible).  After 60 days you must cancel or you will be charged $9.95 per month.  Go to https://www.internetessentials.com/covid19 for more details.
    • Domestic Violence Resources – Arlington Police Department reminds residents that resources remain available for those who may be experiencing domestic violence during the COVID-19 pandemic.  SafeLink, 1-877-785-2020, is Massachusetts’ statewide 24/7 toll-free, multilingual hot line and a resource for anyone affected by domestic violence.

As always, please call 911 in case of a life-threatening emergency. 

COVID-19 RELATED 

    • Information Hotline for Questions about COVID-19 – Call 2-1-1 or visit the website at https://mass211.org/.  You can also now sign up to get text updates from the state’s coronavirus response team by texting  COVIDMA to 888-777.