The disruptive effect of the pandemic has been widely felt, but it hasn’t been evenly felt. Those among us who are living with the disappointment of not being able to travel to visit family this holiday season know we can wait to travel when things are safer.
But the pain COVID has brought goes far beyond waiting to hug faraway family members. A lot of our neighbors have either been furloughed or have had hours cut. Even now, as the vaccine is being rolled out, the cumulative effect of COVID is still building toward an almost certain eviction crisis we’ll have to recognize, face, and solve as we move into 2021.
With this all-in perspective, we’re asking for your help. There is no shortage of causes to support and a lot of ways to help them. We ask you to go through the The Mercury News Wish Book to find people, organizations and causes that you believe in, and offer support. We ask you to see ABC 7 News’ Give Where You Live initiative that supports Bay Area Food banks and the NBC Bay Area Holiday Resource Guide to find places to help. And we ask you to consult Silicon Valley Strong’s long list of ways to help that involve everything from scheduling a blood donation to phoning an isolated senior to #CancelLoneliness – plus a directory of small businesses to support this holiday season. Whatever you choose to do, please create a long-term plan to do it – as our friends at Magnify Community have said in their donor action plan to address Housing Justice in Silicon Valley.
Thank you for all of your support through today and for all of our tomorrows.