Good Old Lower East Side

The global coronavirus has brought uncertainty and anxiety into people’s lives, workplaces, and neighborhoods, particularly for those who work to improve the health of our communities.

During this difficult time, many organizations across New York State are working tirelessly to keep people safe, especially the most vulnerable. In response, NYHealth is supporting statewide and local efforts to address emerging health care and public health needs in the wake of the pandemic. In 2020, NYHealth awarded Good Old Lower East Side (GOLES) a grant to provide residents in the neighborhood with food and housing assistance and other social service supports during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under this grant, GOLES offered residents, particularly those who had lost employment, with information on tenants’ rights, eviction prevention and moratorium, and other housing supports. In addition to continuing to deliver food packages to seniors in public housing developments throughout the neighborhood, GOLES enrolled other residents in the City’s food delivery program and connected them to other food resources such as food pantries and hot-meal locations. It also connected residents to other social service programs, including referring them to mental health resources and helping them enroll in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), unemployment benefits, and emergency rental assistance. GOLES hosted network calls on a weekly basis to share resources and best practices; provided weekly community updates and resources; and secured volunteers to help meet residents’ immediate needs.

View a complete list of COVID-19 response and relief efforts grantees.