Needs are rising, resources are declining, communities are responding
(CHICAGO, IL – May 8, 2020) – NowPow, a community referral technology company, has launched the first in a series of interactive maps to show how the COVID-19 outbreak is affecting community resource availability in the United States. The maps released today focus on food resources in three of the nation’s hardest hit areas: New York City, Long Island and Chicago. Access the maps here: www.nowpow.com/resource-maps.
The NowPow COVID-19 Maps show by ZIP code how resource availability is changing over time, according to the company’s resource database. The maps date back to March 11 when COVID-19 was declared a pandemic.
The hyperlocal maps serve as an easy way to help policy makers, healthcare organizations, communities and media understand the magnitude of impact and track geographies at risk relative to available resources.
“Just as the nation’s health systems are being stretched, so too are its human and social service organizations,” explains Stacy Lindau, MD, MAPP, founder and chief innovation officer at NowPow. “As more and more people look to their communities for support, many of the organizations that would typically provide assistance have had to slow or halt operations.”
The maps can help inform policies, investments and collaborations to address critical service gaps and support vulnerable populations. They show where services have been eliminated as well as where the community has responded by adding new emergency relief services.
Change in city-wide numbers starting on March 11, according to NowPow’s database*:
- Half (54%) of NYC’s food-related services that were available pre-pandemic were operating after initial shutdowns. Today, two-thirds (66%) of those are available. In addition, NowPow has identified where NYC has added new emergency food-related services, bringing the total food-related services to 135% of the pre-pandemic baseline.
- Two-thirds (67%) of Long Island’s food-related services that were available pre-pandemic were operating after initial shutdowns. Today, 90% of those are available. NowPow is working to identify new emergency food-related services in Long Island.
- Half (54%) of Chicago’s food-related services that were available pre-pandemic were operating after initial shutdowns. Today, three-fourths (73%) of those are available. In addition, NowPow has identified where Chicago has added new emergency food-related services, bringing the total food-related services to 104% of the pre-pandemic baseline.
*These data do not account for increases in food-related service capacity among pre-pandemic service providers.
“NowPow’s maps show rapid response by the emergency food relief sector to address the fast-growing problem of pandemic-related food insecurity. These data also identify geographic gaps needing attention,” said Dr. Lindau. “Food insecurity rates will continue to grow with prolonged economic strain from COVID-19, so ongoing tracking of these and other vital community assets is critical.”
NowPow’s platform, which helps people find and access community resources, has also seen a significant increase in demand for referrals to food-related services in New York City (41%), Long Island (101%) and Chicago (29%) since March 11.
The NowPow COVID-19 Maps visualize data collected on more than 3,900 food-related services in the nation’s hardest hit areas. Additional information will be added daily as services continue to change throughout the COVID-19 crisis.
The development of the NowPow COVID-19 New York City and Long Island Maps is an effort led by NowPow’s Analytics Team in partnership with key resource contributors NYC Health + Hospitals, Healthfirst, and the Health and Welfare Council of Long Island. The Chicago map was also created by the NowPow Analytics Team in partnership with key resource contributor United Way of Metro Chicago.
NowPow will release additional geography-specific maps, as well as expand the maps to include more service types.
If you offer or are aware of new services in these cities, please upload the information here: www.nowpow.com/covid19-resourceupdate, or email your updates to update@nowpow.com
About NowPow
NowPow’s personalized community referral platform reflects the current COVID-19 operating status for more than 45,000 community services in 15 geographies. NowPow’s referrals are highly matched and filtered, making it easy to connect people to just the right community resources so everyone can stay well, meet basic needs, manage with illness and care for others. NowPow’s unique population health solution also provides deep community resource and referral insights to support process improvement, network health and quality, and care access and experience. Find more information at www.NowPow.com.
Contact: Patty Keiler, patty@collaborate.health, 312-550-5394