Local News

Michiganders who lose a job, resulting in a loss of their healthcare coverage or a change in income, may have low or no-cost healthcare options available through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace, Medicaid, or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).  Consumers in these situations are not required to wait for the yearly Open Enrollment Period and should act now.

“Michiganders who lose employer-based health insurance may have options to continue or replace their coverage,” said DIFS Director Anita G. Fox. “If consumers have questions about enrolling, DIFS is available to assist.”

Consumers have 60 days after losing essential health coverage, such as through a job loss, or experienced a change in income to take advantage of a Special Enrollment Period. To determine eligibility, consumers should visit www.healthcare.gov. Depending on income and their situation, consumers may qualify for cost sharing reductions, premium tax credits, coverage for their children (CHIP), or Medicaid. Consumers should contact DIFS toll free at 877-999-6442 if they need assistance.

Act now and apply

• When a consumer loses essential health coverage, they may be eligible to enroll in an individual health plan during a Special Enrollment Period.
• If consumers are new to www.healthcare.gov, they can create an account. If they already have one, they may log in to start or update an application.

Enrollment help is available 

• DIFS can help.  The Michigan Health Insurance Consumer Assistance Program (HICAP) can provide shopping tips and help answer questions about health insurance or Special Enrollment Periods.
• Contact DIFS at 877-999-6442 or email at DIFS-HICAP@michigan.gov

Submitted by the State of Michigan Emergency Operations Center

Nonprofits, school districts, churches, restaurants, and government agencies are working together to make sure no area resident goes without food during this pandemic. There are a variety of opportunities to find relief for your grocery budget: food pantries inside schools and churches, mobile pantries offering drive-thru service, school lunch programs, and generous restaurant owners handing out free lunches.

Several local organizations are providing maps and listings of food giveaways to help connect residents with resources. It is recommended that you check with the organization before showing up for clarification of hours and processes by visiting their website, Facebook page, or phone.

Here is a list of local resources for food distributions:

Council on Aging Serving St. Clair County: http://www.thecouncilonaging.org/

Food Bank of Eastern Michigan: https://www.fbem.org/where-to-get-food/find-a-food-pantry/

Operation Transformation: https://www.optrans.org/fooddistribution

Port Huron Area Schools Meet Up & Eat Up Lunch Program: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Wv1ZXfAQlgbFtepoWS_3Quhi2s8G_VA5/view

The Inn of the Good Shepherd Sarnia: https://www.theinnsarnia.ca/programs/#foodbank

United Way of St. Clair County and Food Bank of Eastern Michigan, in partnership with Blue Water Community Action and Port Huron Schools, are bringing three food trucks to St. Clair County.  Pop Up Pantries will provide free cartons of food with drive-thru service. 

• April 14th @ noon 
• April 28th @ noon
• May 5th @ noon

United Way of St. Clair County: https://www.uwstclair.org/HelpMe

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

Nonprofits are deeply concerned about the impact of their ability to carry out their mission and raise money during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there is some help for the nonprofit community in the new CARES Act.

Nonprofits can apply for payroll protection loans of up to 2 1/2 times their average month payroll expenses. These loans can be forgiven if certain criteria is met. The CARES Act also lifts certain limitations on charitable contributions by individuals who itemize and by corporations. The CARES Act includes a specific section allowing nonprofits to be reimbursed for half of the costs incurred through paying unemployment benefits, including self-funded unemployment benefits.

If all this is a bit complicated, Randy Maiers, CEO of the Community Foundation of St. Clair County, told WGRT that he encourages our nonprofit partners “to take advantage of our small town relationships, and reach out to local CPA firms, financial planners, or even larger nonprofit organizations that may have the internal capacity to offer advice and input.”  He also expressed, “These are incredibly challenging times for everyone, but our region has a spirit of helping each other out.”

Reporting for WGRT – Marty Doorn

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services issued an emergency order Thursday, April 2, 2020, increasing fines to $1,000 for not complying with executive orders that ban gatherings and non-essential business during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Along with the $1,000 fine, the state health department said violators could also be reviewed by any state licensing agency and that licensing agency could also apply a penalty.  “A person can have coronavirus without knowing it,” Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Director Robert Gordon said in a written announcement on the fines. “They can spread the disease to others who can spread it to others. The only way to stop the spread is social distancing. A civil penalty and potential licensing actions send a strong message to Michiganders that social distancing is essential to saving lives.” The health department said places of religious worship were exempt from the emergency rules, but only when used for religious worship.

WGRT spoke with St. Clair County Sheriff Tim Donnellon who said that residents can call dispatch to report concerns about executive order violations. They will address violations with the goal of education first and then enforcement. He explained that these violations are 90 day misdemeanors with a fine, and he would hope citizens would prefer to comply rather than go to jail during the pandemic. When asked how the community is doing with compliance, Donnellon said, “We have had very little problem in St. Clair County from our citizens.”

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

The Stay Home, Stay Safe order requires residents to stay home unless they are part of the essential workforce, performing a necessary task for the health and safety of their family like grocery shopping, or doing an outdoor activity like walking or biking for exercise. Now that the weather is warming up, getting outdoors may be a welcome relief for those who are growing weary of social distancing.

In Michigan, all state parks, trails, boat launches, and other public lands remain open with certain provisions affecting visitor services in place. Any group activity centers, DNR visitor centers, and customer service centers operated by the DNR are currently closed, along with park amenities including bathrooms and hand washing stations. The Michigan DNR is asking all park and trail users to stay local and not travel far for outdoor recreation. Effective social distancing is required so unsafe conditions don’t require state-managed lands to close.

Listeners in Sarnia still have access to the boat launch at Centennial Park for outdoor recreation. Those who take advantage of that option should limit the members of their boat to inhabitants of the same household, and follow social distancing requirements.

Confirmed COVID-19 cases as of April 8th at 5:00 PM are as follows:

• State of Michigan: 20,346 confirmed cases; 959 deaths
• St. Clair County: 140 confirmed cases; 3 county resident deaths (There was also 1 death in a county hospital of an out-of-county resident)
• Ontario: 5,276 confirmed cases; 174 deaths
• Sarnia-Lambton: 87 confirmed cases; 8 deaths

Please continue to reputable sources for information on COVID-19:

• Centers for Disease Control:  cdc.gov/coronavirus
• State of Michigan: Michigan.gov/coronavirus  or Info Hotline  1-888-535-6136 Daily 8:00 am – 5:00 pm or email questions to COVID19@michigan.gov
• St. Clair County Health Department: COVID-19 Info Hotline (810) 966-4163 Mon – Fri, 8:00 am – 4:30 pm or email questions to covid19@stclaircounty.org
• St. Clair County Community Mental Health COVID-19 Support Line (810) 985-8900, available Monday-Friday, 8:30am – 4:30pm
• Lambton Public Health: https://lambtonpublichealth.ca/2019-novel-coronavirus/
• City of Sarnia COVID-19 Hotline: 1-877-4-SARNIA (1-877-472-7642)

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

The United Way of Sarnia-Lambton established The Compassion Fund to collect donations from community members who want to help during the COVID-19 crisis. The fund has been able to assist local nonprofits who are especially vulnerable right now. The Board of the Compassion fund has already distributed 35,000 from the fund. 

Seven local agencies have received funding, including The Inn of the Good Shepherd and St. Vincent DePaul who each received $5,000 this week. The Inn of The Good Shepherd will use the funds to replenish their food bank which provides take-out hampers, meals and snack packs to those in need.

St. Vincent De Paul Food Bank and Help Centre assists 7,000 people per year with rent, utility payments, dental assistance, and material needs such as food, clothing, and furniture. They will use the donation to keep their food bank stocked and to keep the doors open for their clients. A donation also went to the Lambton Elderly Outreach who provides meals to area senior citizens. 

Libro Credit Union announced a $25,000 donation to the Compassion Fund as part of a $320,000 investment across the region. United Way of Sarnia-Lambton is among eight United Way’s in Southwestern Ontario to receive a donation from Libro Credit Union for emergency response measures. 

For more information about The Compassion Fund, please contact Dave Brown, Executive Director of United Way Sarnia-Lambton at 519-384-9270. The office is currently closed, but all office staff are working remotely and have email, telephone and voicemail access. 

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand