SHORT-TERM RELIEF & LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY

Dear Friends,

To best endure this crisis and come out of it strong, we must think about our situation in terms of both short-term relief and long-term sustainability. Right now the most immediate need is to save lives through additional testing and the manufacturing and acquiring of more personal protective equipment (PPE) to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Medtronic, recognizing the acute need for ventilators as life-saving services in the management of COVID-19, is publicly sharing the design specification for its Puritan Bennett™ 560 to enable companies across industries to evaluate options for rapid ventilator manufacturing. The PB 560 is unique because it can be used in a range of care settings, making a solid ventilation for manufacturers, inventors, startups and academic institutions looking to quickly ramp up ventilator design and production.

If your company has or can manufacture face masks, face shields, swab kits, ventilators, hand sanitizer, gloves, or other equipment that could be useful to healthcare personnel in this time of need, please contact Deana Epperly Karem and she will coordinate an introduction to the supply chain leaders.

Short-term relief also includes the Small Business Community Loan Program. This loan program is a $900,000 fund that will provide zero-interest loans to small businesses impacted by COVID-19, with no payments for 12 months. Developed in partnership with Louisville Metro Government, GLI, LHOME, Render Capital, and Lenderfit, loans will be administered by local Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) LHOME, and managed through Lenderfit, in an effort to keep small businesses viable through the pandemic.

In this time of need, we would like to show solidarity in support for our business community. As such, we are issuing a challenge to the business community for each business to give $1,000. If we can all give a little, we can make an enormous impact. Will your company help? If you would like to donate, please click here.

However, we also know long-term sustainability is needed. Now more than ever, our community desperately needs the federal funding that the Census will provide us. COVID-19 has shown us the importance of having the necessary financial support and resources when we need it most. Completing the Census is the only way to ensure we can be as prepared as we need to be to address any crisis that comes our way. We implore you to not only complete the Census yourselves, but encourage your employees to complete the Census as well.

For the first time ever, you can complete the Census online, making it easier than ever to be counted. Simply enter the code that was delivered to you in the mail – it’s just that easy. We’ve also asked our GLI Employees why they took the Census and why it’s important to them. Follow along on our social channels with what they had to say throughout the month with #ShowUsYourHousehold.

Finally, we have also organized a COVID-19 economic renewal task force that will focus on both short-term relief and long term sustainability. The task force will provide high-level guidance and insight on business response efforts, identify areas of need in the community, advocate for relief efforts, provide input on an exit strategy from the quarantine and more. You can learn more about that here.

Other Updates:

• Check out our new COVID-19 Crisis Support Hub resource center, developed in partnership with numerous local organizations, where businesses and individuals can find information on a variety of topics that relate to COVID-19 like the small business continuity loan program, social distancing guidelines, tax deadlines, and a FAQ page for your most pressing questions.
• The entire country is in a serious blood shortage right now. For those who are able, please consider scheduling an appointment at your local American Red Cross Blood Bank or look for donation stations throughout the Greater Louisville Area. The Louisville Area Chapter is holding a blood drive at the KFC Yum! Center next week to help local hospitals with their shortages. The blood drive will be held this Wednesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and people can donate blood on an appointment-only basis. To schedule an appointment, go to redcrossblood.org and enter sponsor keyword KFCYUM. PARC will also provide free parking for donors.
• KentuckianaWorks has launched a new workforce resource for laid off workers and job seekers. You can register for online career workshops and one-on-one as well as career coaching. KentuckianaWorks and GLI are also teaming up to support both workers and employers with a new job board highlighting current opportunities in the region, and an effort to connect HR professionals laying off workers with other HR professionals who are hiring, considering translatable skill sets, competencies and hiring requirements as we connect employers. Contact Jessie Schook if you are an employer looking for assistance.
• Local Louisville chefs Anthony Lamas, Damaris Phillips, Andrew McCabe and Mateo Sullivan are raising funds for restaurant workers through online cooking classes.
• YouTube and Amazon Prime are following in Netflix’s steps by reducing streaming quality in Europe to prevent traffic overload resulting from increased usage during COVID-19.
• When you need a break from the news, enjoy a virtual safari in Zambia from the New York Times The World Through a Lens series.
• Jack Dorsey, CEO of Twitter, has donated $1 billion in Square equity to #startsmall LLC to fund global COVID-19 relief.

Stay safe & healthy,
Sarah Davasher-Wisdom