Dear Friends,
In this current health crisis with COVID-19, our primary concern at HFSC is and always has been the health and wellness of our community members. This Red Tie is a mosaic of #HFSC community members who provide our strength and backbone to endure. It is a symbol of how we are connected. Being connected with each other is more important than ever. While we may be practicing social distancing, staying healthy means not falling into an unhealthy pattern of social isolation and trying to remain active. Our goal is to keep you as informed and engaged as possible.
Due to recommendations by the CDC, the CA Department of Public Health and Governor Newsom, we must cancel all our in-person events for the next 8 weeks. Thank you for your patience as we determine what events can be postponed and rescheduled and what events can be moved to a virtual online space. We will keep you posted via email and social media!
The HFSC staff will be working remotely so the best way to contact us is by email at info@hemosocal.org. You can still leave a message at 626-765-6656 but please allow 2-3 business days for a return call (sorry this is longer than usual). We anticipate an increase of financial assistance requests as some families may endure reduced work and pay. Please see additional resources listed below.
Again, we are thinking of all of you, please stay safe and healthy and do not hesitate to reach out to us.
Michelle, Laura, Michele, Cynthia & Casey
Status of Upcoming Events
- Women’s Retreat: March 28-29th: Stay tuned for more information about our new “IGNITE! Virtual Gathering – Watch the Sparks Fly!”
- Mujeres Dinner: April 1 at Pomona Mining Co.: Cancelled
- Community Dinner: April 28th at Dal Raes Restaurant: Cancelled
- Women’s Bleeding Disorders and vWD Dinner: May 1st at Knotts Berry Farm Hotel: Rescheduled to Friday, October 16, 2020.
- Family Info Day: May 2 at Knott’s Berry Farm Hotel. Rescheduled to Saturday, October 17, 2020.
- HCC Future Leaders: May 3-5 Cancelled
- Family Retreat – May 29-31: Cancelled
- Camp Blood Brothers and Sisters at the Painted Turtle: July 18-23th: Camp is continuing as scheduled. Any changes or updates will be promptly communicated to camp families. Please remember to apply online as soon as possible at: https://www.thepaintedturtle.org/apply. Please email cynthia@hemosocal.org if you need assistance with your application.
- HFSC Scholarships: OPEN FOR APPLICATIONS. The HFSC Scholarships are now open for submission and the applications may be found here
- Industry Forum: January 23, 2021: Virtual
- BRO Check in and Chat: February 9, 2021: Virtual
- Women's Retreat: March 2021: Virtual
- emPOWERment Forum and World Hemophilia Day: April 17, 2021 VIRTUAL
- Family Info Day: May 2021: Virtual
- Camp Blood Brothers and Sisters: TBD
Additional Resources Related to COVID-19
- National Hemophilia Foundation's Medical and Scientific Advisory Council letter.
- Hemophilia Federation of America's Online COVID-19 Hub.
- Questions about medication supply? See Pharma responses here
- CA Department of Public Health for latest updates and guidelines
- CDC Website
- COVID-19 Vaccination Guidance for People with Bleeding Disorders
When Employment is Affected
- Sick or quarantined Californians who are unable to work due to having or being exposed to the virus can file a Disability Insurance (DI) claim online
- If you're unable to work because you're taking care of a sick or quarantined relative with COVID-19, you can file a Paid Family Leave (PFL) claim, according to EDD
- Californians whose hours have been reduced by their employer or who have lost their job due to their employer shutting down operations, can file an Unemployment Insurance (UI) claim (To qualify you must fulfill the following: Totally or partially unemployed, Unemployed through no fault of your own, Physically able to work, Available for work, Ready and willing to accept work immediately, and Actively looking for work.)
Online Free Educational Resources
- For parents who have children at home, there are some amazing free online educational programs from Chinese to chemistry. Please click here to see the list.
- Here is a site that we like for grades prek-6+
Tax Assistance
Directly from the Employment Development Department: Employers experiencing a hardship as a result of COVID-19 may request up to a 60-day extension of time from the EDD to file their state payroll reports and/or deposit state payroll taxes without penalty or interest. A written request for extension must be received within 60 days from the original delinquent date of the payment or return. For questions, employers may call the EDD Taxpayer Assistance Center.
- Toll-free from the U.S. or Canada: 1-888-745-3886
- Hearing impaired (TTY): 1-800-547-9565
- Outside the U.S. or Canada: 1-916-464-3502
Small Business Owners
The Small Business Administration (SBA) will work directly with state Governors to provide targeted, low-interest loans to small businesses and non-profits that have been severely impacted by the Coronavirus (COVID-19). The SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program provides small businesses with working capital loans of up to $2 million that can provide vital economic support to small businesses to help overcome the temporary loss of revenue they are experiencing. For more information and to apply, please click here.