BY MATT TRACY
While New York City’s bars, restaurants, gyms, theaters, and other entertainment establishments have been ordered shut down due to the coronavirus, some community and health centers that provide services to the LGBTQ community are remaining entirely open while others are either maintaining limited operations or closing temporarily.
The following is an overview of the current state of those community and health centers as of March 16. Gay City News will be updating and expanding this list as more information becomes available. Please check the organizations’ websites, as well, for the most up-to-date information.
Ali Forney Center: Open, but outside groups and volunteers will not be permitted to visit.
aliforneycenter.org/
Apicha Community Health Center: Open but no COVID-19 testing available; call ahead at 212-334-6029 if you have cold or flu symptoms.
apicha.org
Anti-Violence Project: Offices closed effective March 16 through at least April 20, but 24/ 7 English/ Spanish hotline at 12-714-1141) remains up and running to provide counseling, safety planning, and help finding medical care.
avp.org
BOOM Health: All services and locations open.
boomhealth.org/
Brooklyn Community Pride Center: Closed indefinitely effective March 14.
lgbtbrooklyn.org
Callen-Lorde Community Health Center: Bronx clinic is temporarily closed, with services consolidated at its Chelsea location. The Bronx pharmacy remains open.
callen-lorde.org
Destination Tomorrow: The Bronx LGBT Center: Closed through the end of March.
destinationtomorrow.org
Fortune Society: Open, but education department is closed until March 30.
fortunesociety.org
GMHC: The agency will close as of 3 p.m. on March 17. Meals usually served in the dining room will be replaced with five-meal frozen take-home bags available from noon to 2:45 p.m. on March 17. Plans are being developed to continue that take-out service going forward. Some services will be available via phone or video, and referrals to other resources will be made for needed in-person services.
ghmc.org
God’s Love We Deliver: Food deliveries continue with drivers using new protocols to ensure safe interactions with clients. Volunteers must be healthy to work their food prep and packaging shifts.
glwd.org
Griot Circle: In-person operations are suspended and the office is closed indefinitely. Griot Circle will call members weekly to check on them and coordinate with a case manager to provide resources.
griotcircle.org/
Harlem United: All March events have been postponed. The group expects to announce virtual town hall for medical experts to discuss the coronavirus pandemic.
harlemunited.org
Hetrick-Martin Institute: Limited services provided by phone; food pantry remains open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
hmi.org/
Housing Works: Clinics and bookstores open; public programming at bookstores postponed or canceled.
housingworks.org
Hudson Valley LGBTQ Community Center: Groups and activities suspended until March 31; 2020 gala postponed.
lgbtqcenter.org/
Immigration Equality: Offices closed; legal assistance and meetings with clients will be conducted via phone.
immigrationequality.org
Jewish Board LGBT Counseling Unit: Open.
jewishboard.org/
Latino Commission on AIDS: Open.
latinoaids.org/
LGBT Community Center, Manhattan: Closed indefinitely effective March 13.
gaycenter.org
LGBT Network: Locations in Long Island City, Hauppauge, and Sag Harbor losed indefinitely effective March 13.
lgbtnetwork.org/
The LOFT (Westchester): In-person groups and drop-in services suspended through March 31; peer support groups will be carried out online and via phone.
loftgaycenter.org/
Newburgh LGBTQ Center: In-person programs suspended until April (no date specified); virtual programs will be offered.
facebook.com/newburghlgbtqcenter
Pride Center of Staten Island: Closed through March 23.
pridecentersi.org
Queens Community House: Programs are scaled back or temporarily suspended. See a more specific breakdown at the Community House website.
qchnyc.org
Safe Horizon: Program locations in the Bronx, Staten Island, and Queens are open; Brooklyn program locations are open except for the Brooklyn Family Justice Center; Manhattan program locations are open except for Manhattan Family Court Program.
safehorizon.org
SAGE Centers across New York City: Closed through the end of March; all March events postponed
sageusa.org/
Sylvia Rivera Law Project: Closed through March 30.
srlp.org
This first appeared on gaycitynews.com.
