PARSONS, Kan.—The SKIL Resource Center has placed a Mercy Box outside the front doors of its Parsons, Chanute, Columbus, Independence and Sedan locations, offering a variety of free essential necessities including non-perishable food items.

The Mercy Box is available for anyone to access during SKIL’s office hours, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

“We are all in the Coronavirus pandemic together,” said SKIL President/CEO Shari Coatney. “We wanted to offer this to the public as a “Take what you need, give what you can” opportunity to show that we care. Anyone is welcome to access the Mercy Box, so please stop by and take whatever you might need from it. There is no cost or charge for any item.”

To contribute to the Mercy Box, please bring items to SKIL during its office hours.

Food assistance or (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) SNAP has maximum benefit amounts that can be issued to individuals and households. To assist during these difficult times some households are being issued an additional benefit in mid-April and mid-May. The regular benefit and this additional benefit will equal that maximum benefit amount allowed for the household size. If a household already received the full amount with their regular April or May benefit, there will be no additional benefit on their card.

For More Information, Click here.

Check out this link that gives the explanation about individuals who receive SSI and how to get their stimulus payments. It will depend on if they have dependent children or not. Please read this and get the information out to people.

https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm979

In regards to people who get SSDI: If they have dependents, they need to complete the Nonfilers process. If they do not have dependents then they do not have to do anything.

Centene, in partnership with the National Council on Independent Living, is pleased to provide timely recommendations from experts with disabilities on how our national network of providers can deliver disability-competent care during the COVID-19 epidemic.

The first two 15-minute videos in the “Provider Accessibility Initiative COVID-19 Web Series” cover important topics such as: concrete steps health professionals can take now to improve disability access during the COVID-19 epidemic, and important considerations for Personal Attendant Services during the epidemic. Future topics in the Web Series include, “Ensuring Equal Access for People with Disabilities to Telehealth,” and, “The Right of People with Disabilities to COVID-19 and other Life Saving Treatment.” Please send feedback and requests for future video topics to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Don’t have time to watch the two 15-minute videos because you are too busy serving on the front lines? No problem. Take a look these one-page “Quick Tip Sheets” that highlight some of the main points from the videos (Episode #1 Quick Tip Sheet for Providers, and Episode #2: Quick Tip Sheet for Providers).

COVID-19 and People with Disabilities

Join us for this short video to learn how health professionals can best include people with disabilities in their response to the COVID-19 epidemic. Our speakers share simple, concrete steps health professionals can take to improve access and provide safe, effective care to people with disabilities.  

Speakers: Ami Hyten, Executive Director of the Topeka Independent Living Resource Center, Kelly Buckland, Executive Director of the National Council on Independent Living, and Dr. Bonnielin Swenor, Associate Professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and Director of the Johns Hopkins Disability Health Research Center.

Essential Services: Maintaining Access to Personal Attendants During the COVID-19 Epidemic

Access to person attendants (aka personal care attendants or home care workers) can be a life or death service for people with disabilities.  It also greatly diminishes the ability of some people with disabilities to socially distance or isolate.  Join us for this short video to learn how you can help maintain access to personal attendants during the COVID-19 epidemic. 

Speakers: Ami Hyten, Executive Director of the Topeka Independent Living Resource Center, and Kelly Buckland, Executive Director of the National Council on Independent Living

As part of their Corona Virus response efforts, Walmart Online Grocery Pickup has reserved the 7-8 a.m. pickup slots in most Walmart locations for seniors, customers with disabilities, first responders and those considered by the CDC to be at high risk from COVID-19.  These pickup slots will be available beginning 4/14/2020. 

• Click here for the Walmart Online Grocery Slot Reservation information.
• Click here for the Walmart 7-8 AM Questions and Answers