Whittier Alliance

Business Relief

7/25/2020

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:

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:

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.

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General Resource Hub for COVID-19 Relief

7/25/2020

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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.

EMERGENCY RENT & BILL ASSISTANCE:

Hennepin County Emergency Programs can help Hennepin County residents with clothing, financial assistance, groceries, medical care and equipment, and medication. Call 612-348-3000, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. 7 days a week. Help is available in multiple languages. Residents in need of assistance are assigned a Human Services Navigator to assist in connecting to available services and resources.

The Tenant Resource Center supports Hennepin County residents who are at risk of eviction or homelessness through a collaborative partnership between community, non-profits, government, and higher education. The goal of the resource center is to help people maintain stability in their housing situation and avoid the “service run around” that sometimes comes with the need to access multiple community resources to ensure stability in housing. During the COVID-19 pandemic, call 612-302-3180 to leave a message; your call will be returned within one day.

Springboard for the Arts has created two emergency funds individual artists to cover their own expenses or for artists who want to respond to an emergency in their community. Visit the link above for more info on eligibility and how to apply.

U.S. Government Economic Stimulus Checks FAQ

The North Stands has created a new stipend opportunity for Twin Cities service industry workers who have been displaced by the COVID-19 pandemic. Visit their website for more info and the stipend application.

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.

JOB INSECURITY AND UNEMPLOYMENT:

Minneapolis Sick and Safe Time Leave policy FAQ for employers and employees.

State of Minnesota's Unemployment Insurance program overview and eligibility requirements are available here, as well as a link to the streamlined application.
Continuous updates will be posted on mn.gov/deed, so please check back regularly.

Job Opportunities (updated 5/6/20):

Stevens Square Community Organization (Executive Director)
Kowalski's Markets
UNFI (grocery wholesaler, many types of jobs available)
2020 Census
State of Minnesota (various departments, jobs, careers available now!)
Various types of employers and positions statewide in Minnesota

MNSURE SPECIAL ENROLLMENT PERIOD:
Although the special enrollment period has closed for MNSure, you may still be eligible to obtain new coverage if you have experienced a qualifying life event due to job or income loss and/or other circumstances. Visit this link for more information on eligibility and application.

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.

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Whittier Neighborhood Relief Efforts

7/25/2020

Monetary Relief Fundraising for Small Businesses & Residents:

Whittier Alliance has been working hard with our neighborhood and business organization partners to raise money in support of our LynLake and Eat Street area small businesses who have been affected by the recent uprisings on top of the challenges presented by COVID-19. We have also been developing an Emergency Monetary Relief Fund to support our neighborhood residents impacted by income loss due to COVID. Check out our Donate page for more info on each one and links to contribute!

Free Food and Essential Supplies Distribution Sites:
Pick up and drop off times may change. Contact the site ahead of time to verify.

Provision Community Restaurant (2940 Harriet Ave S)

Non-perishable foods, household essential supplies, and prepared meals (take and heat)
Donation pick-up: Wednesdays & Sundays from 12-2 pm
Donation drop-off: Wednesdays & Sundays from 2-4 pm

NEIGHBORHOOD SUPPORT 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 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, Spanish, and Hmong translations have been included on pages 2-4 of this doc.

If you want to offer help to your neighbors without posting your personal contact info, contact info@whittieralliance.org with your name, requested quantity, and what time you will be picking up from the WA office - 10 E 25th St, 3 doors east of Spyhouse Coffee.

Relief Resources

Business Relief

General Resource Hub for COVID-19 Relief

Whittier Neighborhood Relief Efforts

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