SF New Deal Marks Six Months of Sustained Efforts, Surpasses $8 Million in Relief to Local Businesses

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- SF New Deal Executive Director Lenore Estrada announced the six month anniversary of SF New Deal rapid response relief efforts.

"Six months ago this week, Jacob Bindman (Director of Service Operations) and I delivered 100 bagged lunches (which contained sandwiches we made in his parents' kitchen) to UCSF Citywide Case Management's clinic on Jesse Street. Little did we know that within a few short days we'd have the participation of dozens of amazing restaurants, who together would deliver tens of thousands of meals across the city each week. Our team has also been hard at work assessing the landscape of growing food insecurity, advancing policy recommendations for increasing food access and ending hunger - especially among children, seniors, and individuals with disabilities - and measuring the ongoing economic and community impact of our programs."

Since its inception, SF New Deal has endeavored to reach every corner of San Francisco. Indisputably, restaurants are an important part of any neighborhood landscape. Since the pandemic hit in March, SF New Deal has rallied like-minded San Franciscans to come together in an unprecedented meal relief response:

The impact of SF New Deal in the 7x7 has yielded:

• Participation of 106 restaurants across every district in the City
• 832,838 meals delivered
• $8,327,573 in direct financial relief
• 65 percent of participating restaurants are Female/LGBTQ and/or BIPOC owned
• Geographic concentration of restaurants in: D9 Mission District (24), D10 Bayview/Potrero (16), D6 Tenderloin/SOMA (16) and D3 Chinatown/Northern (13)
• Largest volume of meals going to locations in Districts 2, 3, 6, and 10.

Additional district by district detail can be found on this interactive map.

SF New Deal Community Organizer and Head of Policy Vinny Eng notes, "In the 18-26 month road to recovery ahead, meeting the essential needs of San Franciscans remains a persistent and urgent matter. SF New Deal meals are a worthy short term bridge. In the long term we must do things differently to end hunger and establish self-sufficiency for everyone. We are learning from our community elders about how we can and must do better to advance the dignity of those in need. We will come out of this crisis stronger, more resilient, and actualizing solutions that establish better systems for collective care."

SF New Deal provides businesses with reliable steady income while dining rooms remain shut until community transmissions fall below an acceptable rate. SF New Deal restaurants rely on these community feeding programs to alleviate the pressure to prematurely open their indoor dining rooms. This allows restaurants to utilize existing infrastructure in service of community needs and gives them an opportunity to adjust their business models to reduce exposing workers and guests to infection.

With food insecurity growing and a 18-26 month road to recovery ahead, meeting the essential needs of San Franciscans is still a persistent and urgent matter. SF New Deal continues to operate community feeding programs as funding remains available and as community transmission of Covid19 remains an ongoing concern. Engaging local businesses to help keep San Francisco nourished is pragmatic, crucial, and necessary in order to preserve the fabric of our neighborhoods.

SF New Deal mobilized on March 23, 2020 to provide immediate relief to small businesses while they await government aid in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis. SF New Deal is here to help our neighbors stay safe. Addressing their needs is:

• CRITICAL to flattening the curve and preserving the capacity of local medical systems to address acute needs
• COMPASSIONATE by keeping our communities nourished, food secure, and connected
• PREVENTATIVE by providing community based, restorative care to chronically underserved communities, especially those who lack mobility, are housing insecure, or are justice-involved
• THE RIGHT THING TO DO. No one should go hungry during this time.

The shelter-in-place order is causing severe disruption to small businesses. An estimated 30-60 percent of restaurants will permanently close as a result of this shutdown. Approximately 25 percent of restaurant workers are immigrants and/or undocumented and thus not eligible for many government programs. Supporting local small restaurants to fill this community need serves as a vital lifeline for employers and those looking to work.

SF New Deal launched with a personal commitment of $1,000,000 from Twitch CEO Emmett Shear. Says Shear, "We know that our local economies will take time to recover, but we cannot let our neighbors go hungry. Local businesses and organizations are ready to do the work to make food and to help organize delivery to those in need, but they need support from ALL of us. Join us in helping support them."

SFND is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit. Personal donations can be made via SFnewdeal.org. Any individuals interested in making larger gifts from donor-advised funds, trusts, corporate sponsorship, or employer match programs can contact SF New Deal at [email protected] or by calling 415-967-8247.

We are working closely with our partners to support the public good - many hands make work light and together we are healing our City of St. Francis. Join us.

SOURCE SF New Deal