The IRS is allowing eligible US residents and citizens to claim their $1200 Economic Impact Payments (or, ‘Stimulus Payments’) through October 15 without having to file taxes for that year. For people who claim little or no income to the IRS, you can still claim this benefit without filing taxes until October 15. For more information, visit IRS.gov/eip and click “Economic Impact Payments Information Center,” or call the IRS hotline at 800-919-9835.
Voter registration deadline is October 5 for the November 3 general election (which includes the U.S. Presidential election). KOOP & League of Women Voters Austin Area are hosting a drive-through registration event this Saturday & Sunday, October 3rd & 4th in the KOOP parking lot (3823 Airport Blvd.) from 10 AM to 4 PM. Come see us and get registered to vote!
Sat., Oct. 3: Get Free Food: The Central Texas Food Bank is hosting a community-wide food distribution event this coming Sunday. You can get free groceries for your household there until supplies run out. Try to arrive early, because they don’t have guaranteed groceries if food runs out before 11am. • Sat., Oct. 3 from 8–11am at Nelson Field (7105 Berkman Dr. in 78752). Call the CTFB distribution programs hotline for schedule updates: (512) 684-2559.
City PPE Distribution: The City of Austin is distributing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) like facemasks, hand sanitizer, and educational materials at no cost to city residents again this week: • Thurs., Oct. 1 from 4–6pm at the Northeast Metropolitan Park baseball fields (15500 Sun Light Near Way, Pflugerville, TX 78660).
The Open Enrollment period for public Marketplace health insurance is coming up Nov. 1–Dec. 15. If you have questions about eligibility, coverage, or anything else, join Foundation Communities’ Health Coverage program experts on Oct. 8 at 1:30pm for a live Community Health Coverage Forum via phone, Zoom, or Facebook Live. For event details or to register, contact Lynn Cowles at 512-522-3220 or Lynn.Cowles@foundcom.org
If you have a question for KOOP about COVID-19, leave a message for us at 512-710-5353 or covid19@koop.org. We will respond to questions and share other community updates weekly on Reflections of Community Outreach or the In Touch Interviews show.