As we continue learning of more resources available to community members and small businesses with regard a variety of needs, we will add them to this growing list.

GENERAL QUESTIONS:
The Minnesota Department of Health is operating two hotlines related to COVID-19, both open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. In order to keep dispatchers available for people in emergency situations, please do NOT contact 911 with COVID-19- related questions.

• Health questions, call 1-800-657-3903
• School and childcare questions, call 1-800-657-3504​

If you believe you’ve been the victim of a COVID-19 scam, contact Attorney General Keith Ellison’s office at 651- 296-3353.

FOOD INSECURITY:
Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) is offering free, WEEKLY food pick up for all children 18 and under at nearly 50 food distribution sites across the city of Minneapolis. From 10 am - 2 pm on TUESDAYS, families can pick up one box of food per child at Whittier Park (425 W 26th St). Food boxes contains 5 breakfasts and 5 lunches—including fresh fruits and vegetables and items that families can heat at home.  Children do not need to be enrolled in MPS to receive food. Click here for the most current information about food boxes and pick-up locations. Families can also download the Free Meals for Kids mobile app to find their nearest food pick-up sites. 

Khidma is a new organization serving primarily Muslim residents of Hennepin, Ramsey, and Anoka Counties with FREE delivery of meals, basic essentials kits, grocery and pharmacy runs, and other concerns such a social isolation. Donate, volunteer, or request their services for you or your neighbor, including personal iftar provisions during Ramadan.

Loaves & Fishes​ is offering free to-go meals Monday through Friday at Hennepin Elementary School (2123 Clinton Ave S in Whittier) from 5:30--6:30 pm. To donate food products, contact Kiley M. Benson, Loaves & Fishes Director of Operations, at 612-377-9810 (Main Office), 612-326-3668 (Direct), or 763-354-9617 (Cell).

Provision Community Restaurant is offering free, pre-packaged meals for pick-up at the Provision Lobby between 5:30--6:30 pm, Monday through Friday, at 2940 Harriet Ave S. 

Fallout Arts Initiative is providing free to-go meals at 2609 Stevens Ave on the following schedule: 

• LUNCH: Monday--Saturday from 12:00--1:00 pm
• DINNER: Monday--Friday from 5:30 pm--6:15 pm
• FOOD SHELF: Saturdays from 10:00--11:00 am

Groveland Food Shelf is handing out free food daily from 9:30 am--12:30 pm, outside in the parking lot of Plymouth Congregational Church (1900 Nicollet Ave).

Minnesota Central Kitchen is accepting donations from food operators and food distributors with perishable product. Visit www.MealConnect.org to create an account and post your product as a donation.

SMALL BUSINESSES & NONPROFIT SUPPORT:
Hennepin County had small business grants available up to $10,000 to be used for critical operating expenses, such as utilities, rent payments, mortgage payments, payments to suppliers, and other necessary expenses. Applications for this program closed on Friday, May 8th at noon. Additional grants for businesses without employees (sole proprietors) will be made available soon. 

Metro Regional Arts Council (MRAC) has created the Emergency Relief Fund to provide grants of up to $2,500 for immediate expense needs (salaries, artist fees, etc) due to loss of earned income because of COVID-19 for arts organizations and informal arts groups with budgets under $400,000 that are located in the 7-county metropolitan area: Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott and Washington counties. Funds should be used for immediate emergency needs and loss of income, and should not be used for future project expenses. Applications are being accepted on a rolling basis and applications are approved weekly.

The City of Minneapolis has a dedicated Coronavirus page, including an FAQs page for Local Business that is being updated regularly as new information comes in. 

The Small Business Administration’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 during the pandemic.

The Department of Employment & Economic Development (DEED) has established a loan program to assist small businesses directly and adversely affected and whose industry is named in Executive Orders 20-04 and 20-08 following the COVID-19 pandemic. More information and application here. 

Technical Assistance for Businesses
The City now has expanded Business Technical Assistance to address COVID-19. These services include, but are not limited to:

• Navigating the process of layoffs and managing other employee issues
• Assessing finances and triaging outstanding expenses
• Working with lenders and other creditors to negotiate payments
• Applying for relief funds if/when available
• For food establishments:
  • Moving to online ordering/delivery
  • online sale of gift certificates
  • other strategies for temporarily adapting business models
• Technical assistance for establishing or improving a digital business presence

Community business support organizations:

• African Development Center
• African Economic Development Solutions
• Bii Gii Wiin
• Davis Law Office
• Lake Street Council
• Latino Economic Development Center
• Metropolitan Consortium of Community Developers
• Neighborhood Development Center
• Northside Economic Opportunity Network
• Seward Redesign
• Social Impact Strategies Group, in partnership with Just Law
• Springboard for the Arts
• West Bank Business Association
• West Broadway Business and Area Coalition

The City will share opportunities for virtual trainings and webinars soon. Please note that their technical assistance providers are adapting to remote work and other changes in normal business operations that may impact response time or methods. If you have questions about which organization would best meet your needs, contact the City's Small Business Team at 612-673-2499 or SmallBusiness@minneapolismn.gov.


Shop Local
Many restaurants are finding ways to adapt to the moment to keep their doors open by developing new curb-side pickup and delivery options. Check out this interactive map of all the restaurants in the Metro Area who are offering curbside pick-up! A text list of these restaurants is accessible through the link, as well

Links to relevant governmental resources and home pages for small businesses related to COVID-19:

• Hennepin County Economic Development
• Office of Governor Tim Walz and Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan
• Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development
• Minnesota Chamber of Commerce
• Minnesota Department of Health
• Center for Disease Control and Prevention
• U.S. Small Business Administration
• Minnesota Unemployment Insurance Program
• Department of Labor

Crime Prevention Tips
The MPD's 5th Precinct has compiled this list of best practices and recommendations to keep your business safe during irregular operating hours. 

The team at Whittier Alliance has been closely monitoring the guidance put forth by the Minnesota Department of Health and leaders at the City of Minneapolis. The current outbreak of the COVID-19 virus in our community calls upon each of us to do our part in keeping one another safe and to support the extraordinary workers in the health care and related sectors on the front lines caring for those in need. We want to take a moment to share how Whittier Alliance will support these goals and to provide some resources for how to stay connected with your neighbors during this time of uncertainty and isolation for many. 
More Updates from Minnesota Department Of Revenue
Minnesota Department of Revenue is providing additional time until July 15, 2020, for taxpayers to file and pay 2019 Minnesota Individual Income Tax without any penalty and interest
Minnesota Department of Health is leading the statewide response 
​Click Here to know more information.
Emergency program through hennepin county, to get more information click here

Whittier Alliance internal operations: WA staff will continue working normal hours, however we will be staggering our coverage of the WA office in order to maintain the ability to assist community members in need who many be calling the office phone line. We will close the doors to in-person interaction and include a door sign with instructions to call or email. One staff person will be in the office per day, 9:30am--5:30 pm. If you do need assistance, you may reach us at (612) 871-7756 or via email at info@whittieralliance.org.

Whittier Alliance public meetings and events: Until further notice, all in-person public meetings and events facilitated by WA are either cancelled or postponed, including the Annual Meeting which was previously set to take place on Thursday, April 9th. Our leadership team is currently exploring options for online meeting platforms as a way to support ongoing small group work on the committee level and regular board operations if possible. Stay tuned to our social media platforms, additional email communications, and the WA website for new information about ways to continue engaging.

Whittier Community Resource Network: Community members have put together some digital platforms through which Whittier neighbors can request or provide help to one another. Please feel free to share these resources with your own networks to ensure that those who are in a vulnerable situation can be supported if at all possible. These resources are housed on a Facebook page titled "Whittier Community Care / Mutual Aid Network" but they each can be accessed as independent Google docs or sheet files if you are not a Facebook user. You will find:

• A spreadsheet for folks to list needs or help they can provide, contact info
• A form to ask for or provide help anonymously (except for page admins)
• A doc template to use when reaching out door-to-door to your own neighbors in case they do not regularly utilize digital communications. Somali and Spanish translations will be added soon to the Facebook page and to the WA website.

​Supporting our small business community: While we urge community members not to gather in public places such as bars, restaurants, and shopping destinations where 6 feet of distance between people cannot be guaranteed at all times, there are a few simple ways to continue supporting our small business community in weathering this storm.

• From new curbside pickup options at Rainbow Chinese and Common Roots Cafe, to takeout and delivery specials, check out some of the creative ways the restaurant industry is responding.
• Purchasing gift cards to your favorite local businesses, ideally over the phone or online, is an excellent way to support them with critical cash flow during this crisis, allowing you to redeem them later when the virus spread has subsided. 

It's challenging moments like these that truly demonstrate the power and necessity of community. The whole Whittier Alliance team is grateful to be in service of and solidarity with each and every one of you, and we wish you good health, laughter, and optimism for the days and weeks ahead.

Kaley Brown
Whittier Alliance Executive Director 
​

Mark your calendars for the largest formal gathering of Whittier neighbors throughout the year! Enjoy complimentary food and drinks from some amazing Whittier restaurants, make a new friend, and weigh in on some key decisions for Whittier Alliance this year.

At each Annual Meeting, a new term of Directors are elected to the Whittier Alliance Board by residents and property owners (you!), so come support your neighbors who are stepping up to serve! This year we also have a task force of current board members who have been hard at work developing suggested revisions to our organization's By-laws and working with community members to collect feedback on them. Because residents, property owners, and business owners are our membership base, that voting body holds the final say in our organization's governing documents. We need you to come cast your vote!

Proposed revisions are posted below for community review leading up to the April 9th meeting, and a summary doc will be included soon, as well. Feel free to reach out with any questions on the proposed revisions at any time; we welcome your thoughts! Additional meeting information including documentation required to become a registered Whittier voter is detailed on the flyers below.

See you on April 9th at MCAD (2501 Stevens Ave, Auditorium 150)!

Today is #GivetotheMaxDay - Minnesota's largest giving holiday! We hope you'll include Whittier Alliance in your giving plans today to ensure that we can continue our working to retain affordable places for our neighbors to live, build cross-cultural connections among residents and organizations, and provide resources to support our small business community.
Check out our GiveMN profile to learn more about the great work we have accomplished alongside our volunteers and community partners this year and how to submit a contribution!