‘ARE YOU READY?’

Stamford program helps families suddenly facing COVID diagnosis

STAMFORD — Sometimes a bag of groceries can make all the difference.

That’s something Dennis Torres has learned well over the past few months. Torres is chief health officer of Family Centers Inc. of lower Fairfield County. Since November, the nonprofit has been working with the city of Stamford to help provide a variety of services to residents — particularly lower-income residents — who have tested positive for COVID-19 — including shopping for groceries so infected residents do not have to.

Torres said the diagnosis hits a lot of people like a bomb out of the blue. Not only is there the possibility that they could get seriously ill, but those who test positive have to quarantine for two weeks, meaning they can’t get out and get anything they need.

“If someone calls you right now and says ‘You can’t leave your house,’ are you ready?” Torres said.

To help people deal with the challenge, the Connecticut Health Foundation awarded more than $1.6 million in grants to local health departments earlier this year to support community health workers in their COVID-19 response efforts. These include assisting with contact tracing, community education and outreach to vulnerable residents.

The money was in addition to more than $650,000 in COVID-19-related grants that were given by the foundation to support efforts by community health workers in the state’s cities, including Bridgeport, Stamford, Danbury, Hartford and Norwalk.

Stamford alone received $214,000 for its program, and Family Centers received an additional $10,000.

Torres said Stamford and Family Centers began their efforts in earnest in November. Since Nov. 4, more than 150 people have been helped through the program. Most of them had immediate needs that had to be filled, Torres said.

For instance, he said, one woman the program recently helped had an infant and was almost completely out of food and diapers. The program helped get her what she needed, and also assisted her in other areas, such as applying for public housing she was interested in.

Over the holidays, the program has helped serve a different set of needs, Torres said. He said many of the people they work with haven’t shopped for gifts — because of quarantine restrictions, and because they simply don’t have the money.

“We’ve connected people with gifts and toys, so they have something to give at the holidays,” he said.

For those interested in the program, call 203-517-1065.

John Moore / Getty Images Community health worker Luis Hernandez delivers groceries to a family with COVID-19 on Dec. 22 in Stamford. The nonprofit Family Centers and the Stamford Department of Health are working with residents and their families who have tested positive, are quarantined and/or referred through testing sites.

Funded by a grant from the Connecticut Health Foundation, the Community Health Worker Initiative also connects residents, particularly those from low-income communities, with additional resources and support services to manage their health and the wellbeing of their families during the pandemic.

John Moore / Getty Images Maria Romero, a so-called “long hauler” with continued COVID-19 symptoms, thanks community health worker Luis Hernandez after he delivered groceries to her on Dec. 22 in Stamford. Romero said she was originally sick with COVID-19 in April. The nonprofit Family Centers and the Stamford Department of Health are working with residents and their families who have tested positive, are quarantined and/or referred through testing sites.

Funded by a grant from the Connecticut Health Foundation, the Community Health Worker Initiative also connects residents, particularly those from low-income communities, with additional resources and support services to manage their health and the wellbeing of their families during the pandemic.