As a community-based organization, Canal Alliance has shifted to crisis operations and is providing critical services and information for hardworking Latino immigrants and their families who are among the hardest hit by the pandemic. During the first week after Marin’s shelter-in-place order was issued, 75% of clients reported total or significant loss of income and were anxious about how they would pay rent and purchase food. The agency website is updated to provide contact information and important resources for the community during the crisis. Most staff are working remotely to help clients access resources, such as rental assistance, to file unemployment claims and to provide phone consultations for new clients seeking immigration legal assistance. The weekly food pantry has also resumed after implementing practices recommended by the Department of Public Health.
The pantry serves 380 families each week and is now also delivering food to the most vulnerable community members. All donations to the Client Support Fund at canalalliance.com/get-involved/donate will go directly to help immigrant families pay for essential needs like rent, utilities, medications, diapers and groceries.
-Photo of Canal Alliance “You Are Home” mural courtesy of Canal Alliance
In response to the unprecedented economic, health and community wellness impacts of the
coronavirus outbreak and related shelter-in-place directives, Redwood Credit Union (RCU)
is distributing $800,000 in grants to more than 45 nonprofit organizations across Lake, Marin,
Mendocino, Napa, San Francisco and Sonoma counties. A list of these grantees is available on RCU’s website at redwoodcu.org/nonprofit-grant-recipients.
Brett Martinez, president and CEO of Redwood Credit Union, said “We know people are struggling right now because they have lost jobs or had hours reduced, and don’t know how they’ll make ends meet. We hope these grants make a difference in helping our nonprofit partners who are working hard to meet a significant surge of need due to this crisis.”
In addition to the grants, RCU is honoring dozens of sponsorship commitments for fundraising events that have been canceled due to the need for social distancing. Currently all branch locations are open with shortened hours and following Center for Disease Control and Prevention health and safety guidelines, including hand sanitizing stations, antimicrobial soaps, social distancing in the queues and increased cleaning efforts at the branches and ATMs. Most transactions can also be done securely online or using RCU’s free mobile app, and RCU recommends members use these digital banking tools as the safest option for doing their transactions. Assistance programs available to support impacted members are listed at redwoodcu.org/coronavirus.
Redwood Credit Union members who are experiencing financial hardship don’t need to visit a branch for assistance, but can get direct assistance by calling (800) 479-7928 or by logging in to their account online to send a secure message with their request.
-Photo of Brett Martinez courtesy of Redwood Credit Union
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