United Way COVID-19 Response COVID-19 Response: Invisible Problems

Since they deal with trash, included discarded masks and gloves, I think the sanitation workers in my county should have PPE.

Several small brick and mortar retail businesses are struggling to make sales right now given the shelter-in-place orders. The primary reason seems to be that their pre-COVID business model did not involve e-commerce and the limiting factor to adapt in the current climate is that it would take too long to get their inventory online.

Here's how I learned about the issue:

Hoping to support the businesses and order my... more »

Due to COVID-19 many African countries are in partial or full lockdown. Because of the lockdown situation, agricultural products can't get from the farm to market centers. Additionally, traditional markets have been closed for sanitation purposes and because social distancing could not be adequately enforced. The unintended consequence is that the majority of the population are unable to access agricultural products and... more »

From a friend in Denver:
All our Denver libraries are closed and I even saw police tap around the drop box to return books. I'm usually a library gal when it comes to reading materials, but am fortunate that I could place an order for a few books this weekend off amazon. What's being done to safely promote free access to books and learning materials? I got an email today from a small town library I was part of once and... more »

We are confronted with failing support systems for people with impairments and underlying medical conditions during COVID. Homecare and support staff earn low wages making it difficult to own a vehicle. Many are reliant upon public transportation and/or other means of transport. Workers could unknowingly transmit the virus to someone physically impaired. This appears to be a complicated web of socio-economic and medical... more »

Although this is a huge issue in the U.S, how do we support undocumented workers during this time? Many are on the frontlines of the COVID Response but are receiving little to no financial assistance. They are also being exposed to the virus at an alarming rate.

I am very concerned about the capabilities and sustainability of critical non-profits in light of increasing demands and diminished resources. Given the likelihood of long-term physical distancing, how will human services and education be delivered effectively? Do our CBOs have adequate technology or do the clients served have adequate digital literacy, technology and broadband access to be connected and served? It is... more »

Immigrant communities of color have been particularly hard-hit by Covid-19 because these immigrants often have low-paying jobs where social distancing is impossible and they cannot afford not to work. Sadly, these immigrants face deeper risk under the federal government's new "public charge" immigration rule that went into effect in late February as the virus began to spread. The public charge rule has left many immigrants... more »

Adults who are unfamiliar with, or lack access to, technology are not able to connect with many safety net and supportive services. Many individuals are motivated to learn, but cannot connect with help, because they do not know how to engage with computers, or lack access to the internet.

Individuals with vision impairment cannot connect with resources via technology, as their in-person help is limited due to pandemic... more »

The United States has an infamously disjointed election system with each state, county, and even sometimes individual cities having different election processes. As we continue to face down this pandemic, election day nears ever closer and we need to act decisively, and at a large scale, to help voters register for absentee or vote-by-mail (VBM) ballots and understand how they work. Countless studies have shown that voting... more »

As of July, 20, 2020, 17 states require voters to submit their absentee application in person or by mail. These states do not accept absentee applications via Email, Fax, or by phone. During this pandemic, some voters may not be comfortable going to their local election office to apply for an absentee ballot because they are afraid of contracting COVID-19.

So, this leaves voters the option of mailing an absentee application... more »

COVID creates a few issues surrounding in-person voting. First, it makes voting unsafe due to the close proximity of voting lines as well as the extended period of interaction while waiting in those lines. It also is an issue considering the large number of people that vote at each polling location. This will discourage voters form making it to the polls. Secondly, it generally makes lines much longer. With cities and... more »

Many of our volunteers are seniors who are the most vulnerable segment of our society. In our Meals On Wheels program, both the clients and the volunteers were threatened by increased exposure to the virus.

We put out a call for more volunteers and redesigned our delivery system to keep the daily deliveries going.

We have dozens of other volunteer programs that had to be scaled-down or canceled altogher.

Food pantries don’t have enough food

Very hard to find people who want to caregivers?aides?attendants for people with disabilities. This service is reimbursed through Medicaid. That limits what we can pay. With an increase of minimum wage headed our way and no state funding increases these services is in jeopardy.