Read more about the COVID-19 Response Fund and how the COVID-19 outbreak has impacted the 2020 Census. Also read this post with information for people who have become unemployed due to this pandemic.

As an organization dedicated to the well-being of our community, we are closely watching the developments surrounding the spread of Coronavirus in our region, and many people may be wondering what we can do to minimize the impact of the outbreak.

We encourage everyone to read these recommendations from the King County Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control for reducing the risk of COVID-19 infection for yourselves and others. 

Leading by Example

Our top priority is the safety of our staff, volunteers and guests, so earlier this week we:

• Asked employees to work from home if possible
• Canceled upcoming events
• Temporarily closed Free Tax Preparation sites; we will reassess on a weekly basis. In the meantime, we are redirecting people to file their return using United Way’s online tool, MyFreeTaxes.com
• Rescheduled the Community Resource Exchange, which was planned for April 1
• Took the Census awareness campaign 100% virtual

Planning Ahead

As we have done in the past before other crises, we are also working on contingency plans and talking with other agencies and partners to prepare for this crisis and the actions we will take after it has passed.

Those preparations include galvanizing our community to bring support to those who are being directly or indirectly affected by the outbreak:

• Low-income families with children who go to schools that have been closed and have nowhere else to get their meals
• People whose hours are cut due to temporary closures and who will need assistance to stay in their homes
• People who are experiencing homelessness and who do not have the resources they need to stay safe
• Community college students who already face barriers as they try to finish their education

Unite Together

Viruses don’t discriminate and neither should we. Coronavirus doesn’t recognize race, nationality, ethnicity nor social status. We are stronger as a community when we stand together against discrimination. Take advantage of these resources to prevent, interrupt, and respond to stigma.

We invite members of our community to reach out to us if they need help, and we welcome any input or ideas on how we can better operate as we move forward.

We implore our business community to consider the short- and long-term impact of their economic decisions, which can adversely affect employees and their families. Their livelihoods depend on the income they earn, and reduced hours, as well as prolonged closures, will severely diminish their ability to pay rent and buy food.

Our community is stronger when it is unified, and it is going to take all of us to mitigate the impacts and recover as a community.