COVID-19 Response & Resource Network

A Message from Bay Area Council CEO Jim Wunderman

We are in a period of tremendous anxiety and uncertainty that has dramatically altered how we are managing our lives, our businesses and our work. Everyone is affected. While we can’t predict what is going to happen in the coming days, weeks and months, we know from past experience that the Bay Area is resilient and strong in the face of such adversity. We come together, we help each other, and we prevail.

This time is no different, and it’s because of organizations like ours that we again will overcome the challenges ahead. For 75 years, the Bay Area Council has embraced its mission and role as the steward of this great region. With your continuing support and help, we will again prevail and come out stronger.

What We’re Doing

The Bay Area Council is working furiously to provide steady leadership during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Read more about what we’re doing>>

We are reaching out to our members, to state and local officials and others to gather and share the latest information on how best to deal with and adapt to this crisis.
We are launching a series of webinars covering a range of public health and business continuity topics to help members plan for the future and navigate changes already taking place.
We are transitioning to virtual meetings for all of our policy committee and other meetings. We are also assessing the need to cancel or postpone other meetings, as necessary.
We are facilitating the purchase and delivery of badly needed medical supplies from our partners in China.
Through our Economic Institute, we are researching the economic impacts on the Bay Area stemming from COVID-19.
We are partnering with other organizations to advocate for state and federal emergency funding to increase services for the homeless and other vulnerable populations and blunt the impacts on public transportation systems from reduced ridership and other revenue.
We are continuing to advance our regular policy priorities in housing, transportation, homelessness, workforce and climate resilience, among others.

Send Us Your Questions, Concerns, Issues

We want to help you and your company navigate the uncertainty we’re facing. If you have questions about what various government orders and restrictions mean for your business, let us know and we’ll do our best to get answers. We also would enjoy hearing what things you and your company are doing to maintain business continuity. Your experience and learnings can be help inform others on how best to move forward and adapt and adjust. Please contact us with your questions, concerns and success stories by emailing covid-19@bayareacouncil.org.

What Our Members Are Doing

Citi: On March 19, #Citi Foundation announced a $15 million commitment to support #COVID19 related relief activities globally. This is a first step that Citi is taking to respond to the global crisis & will continue to support longer-term recovery efforts. Learn more>>
Safeway helps seniors and other vulnerable customers with special store hours and launches in-store campaign to keep food accessible to local families impacted by COVID-19. They have dedicated hours for seniors and other vulnerable customers at Safeway. For the best information on when a local store is open, visit www.safeway.com. The Safeway Foundation has launched an in-store fundraising campaign to help keep food accessible to local families impacted by COVID-19 crisis. Donations collected at the check stands will be used to provide meals to school children, seniors and others financially impacted during this time. Proceeds will benefit food banks and hunger relief programs. Learn more>>
Raley’s is also stepping up to support seniors over 65 by establishing a special program that includes a pre-selected bag of grocery staples at a discounted price. This bag can be picked up in-store by a caregiver or friend. Details will soon be available online and in-store. To support those who were already food insecure, we continue our work with local food banks to provide a steady supply of staples. This is especially important now for children who no longer have access to school provided meals. We encourage customers to donate generously to Raley’s foundation, Food for Families. Raley’s is also working with other business partners such as hotel and restaurants to provide their temporarily displaced employees an opportunity at Raley’s. In the coming days we expect to add several hundred new jobs for an initial period of 30 days. Learn more>>
Plant Construction: Plant Facilities Services is a new division of Plant Construction Company that was formed in response to the San Francisco shelter-in-place order. They are registered with the Department of Industrial Relations to provide janitorial services. Plant Facilities Services is considered an essential business under the shelter-in-place order for providing services that are necessary to maintaining the safety, sanitation, and essential operation of residences, essential activities, and essential businesses. They can work any time of day, night or weekend. Learn more>>
Sobrato Philanthropies is launching a Sobrato Rapid Response Fund to address the program, financial, and capacity needs of Sobrato grantees as they respond to the COVID-19 crisis. They will learn from community partners as the situation develops to ensure they are supporting grantees in the most meaningful ways. In the first round of funding, priority will be given to grantees who have emergency, urgent requirements to serve the needs of low-income populations, and those with immediate cash flow challenges due to the crisis response. Learn more>>
BPM is providing a free resource on their website for anyone who is looking for tax, operational management, etc. Learn more>>
LHH has numerous resources for member companies with a series of webinars on critical human resources topics: Building Resilience during Coronavirus; Succeeding in a Virtual World of Work; Maximizing Productivity for Remote Teams; Minimizing Disruption during a Pandemic. LHH is here to help; check out their COVID-19 Resource Hub. Learn more>>
Lyft has made several critical updates to ensure that riders and drivers can protect themselves and others when sharing a ride. They’re also implementing new initiatives to provide essential services to vulnerable populations and giving drivers more opportunities to earn income through the Lyft app. Learn more>>
National University: As COVID-19 continues to spread, students across the nation are unable to attend classes due to quarantine, closed schools and campuses, and canceled study abroad programs. In response, National University and National University Virtual High School (NUVHS) are offering three months of free online classes to all California college, community college and high school students impacted by COVID-19. California college students may take up to three classes for all NU asynchronous online programs in April, May, and June 2020. California high school students may take up to three online classes offered by NUVHS in April, May, and June 2020. National University’s goal is to help students stay on track to graduation and protect the health of our communities during this trying time. Learn more>>
Stanford Medicine: In an abundance of caution as COVID-19 spreads in our community, and with the increased global shortages of supplies, Stanford Medicine is now gratefully accepting donations of needed supplies from the community. Donations must be in unopened, original packaging and meet approved hospital standards. Learn more>>
Instacart is providing an opportunity for those who have been directly impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. In California, Instacart expects to bring on 54,000 new full-service shoppers, providing much-needed roles for the growing number of unemployed Californians. Instacart is also reaching out to organizations across the country who are helping to serve vulnerable communities and find ways to support their efforts. Learn more>>
Reed Smith LLP has developed a COVID-19 Resource Center for Need-to-Know Business & Legal Issues. Read here for the firm’s expertise on a wide range of issues, and contact David Weiss at dweiss@reedsmith.com to be connected with the right expert.
Google is providing $800+ million to support for small businesses and COVID-19 crisis response, which includes ad grants to the World Health Organization (WHO), investment funds supporting NGOs, $340 million in Google Ad credits available to all SMBs, and more. They also launched a nationwide website in the U.S. as well as an expanded Google search experience for COVID-19. People can find state-based information, safety and prevention tips, search trends related to COVID-19, and further resources for individuals, educators and businesses. Learn more>>

Health & Community Guidelines

Shelter in Place Orders & Information by County

Resources for Employers

Resources for Employees

Resources and Support for Homeless and Other Vulnerable Populations

Business Continuity Reports

Economic Insights

Transportation Updates

BART
Caltrain
San Francisco Bay Ferry
Bay Area Bus Transit Systems:
AC Transit
County Connection
Golden Gate Transit
SamTrans
SFMTA
VTA

Resources for Working Remotely

McKinsey & Company’s “Getting Ready for the Future of Work”
LinkedIn’s Working Remotely Resources
Google’s 4 Tips for Staying Productive at Home and Other Remote Work Resources

COVID-19 Response & Resource Network

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