How Businesses Are Responding to COVID-19
In the wake of the ongoing COVID-19 health crisis, now more than ever we need to band together to help those in need. Here are just a few of the businesses in the local Austin area doing Good in their communities to help those affected. The following is accurate as of 5/14/20.
Kendra Scott
Stronger Together ? To help support those on the front lines, Kendra Scott Collaborated with women in Austin, Lubbock, and New Orleans to sew masks out of our Kendra Scott custom bandanas to distribute to their local hospitals and clinics. Link
Kendra Scott + P.Terry’s
Kendra Scott gave us all the feels today when she called us up and asked to pay for our truck to feed the crew at Ascension Seton – and gave them a gift as well! Every day we’re glad to be from Austin…but especially today ? Want to purchase and donate P. Terry’s to your hometown heroes? Hit us up at catering@pterrys.com #texanshelpingtexans @ Austin, Texas. Link
Kendra Scott + Tiff’s Treats
We partnered up with Tiff’s Treats to support all those working tirelessly on the frontlines. ? We’re so thankful for the doctors, nurses, clinical staff, volunteers, essential workers, and more who are going to see us through these unprecedented times. Link
Kick Butt Coffee
Free coffee/breakfast tacos/lunch for you if you lost your job. Open daily until 2pm. Call to place order 512-454-5425 and come pick up OR use GrubHub, Ubereats, DoorDash to get delivery. Link
Elsie’s Egg Rolls
Business owner Elsie Corass of Elsie’s Egg Rolls provided meals for the laid-off workers. “I know even if it’s a small thing it really means a lot I want them to feel that we are Hutto we are strong,” Corass said. Thank you, Elsie, and the other companies that participated in helping those who have recently lost their jobs. Link
Tito’s Handmade Vodka
Tito’s Homemade Vodka donated boxes of hand sanitizer to the Pflugerville Police Department. This came shortly after the distillery announced it would produce 24 tons of ethanol-based hand sanitizer at their facilities. Link
Covenant Presbyterian Church
Today in worship, Thomas Daniel told the congregation about “one of the most exciting and humbling things” he’s ever been part of as a pastor. Covenant was able to relieve $10 million worth of the secondary medical debt for the poorest households in Travis County. Our Mission Committee did this through an organization called RIP Medical Debt, a group that buys secondary debt for pennies on the dollar, thus stretching our $100,000 donation to cover the $10 million in medical costs.
“The effectiveness of a church is not measured by its budget or by the number of members,” Thomas said. “We are called to be a ‘love letter’ to Austin.” Read more at covenant.org/medical-debt
Capital Metro – Hope Food Pantry – Good Apple
ICYMI – Capital Metro has partnered with our friends at Hope Food Pantry Austin and Good Apple to help launch a new FREE grocery delivery program for people over 55 and those with compromised immune systems stay home and stay healthy!
Einstein Moving Company
Huge kudos to Einstein Moving Company for using their tools and creating a food drive! We are sending you all the good energy for your pickups tomorrow ? https://www.einsteinmoving.com/foodbank/
Krispy Kreme Donuts
To show gratitude for their work in helping to fight COVID-19, Krispy Kreme will be offering free dozens of doughnuts to health care workers every Monday starting March 30. Link
Desert Door Distillery
Desert Door Distillery has closed their doors for now to the public but have redirected their resources to making alcohol based sanitizer. They are providing this free to those serving our community – fire fighters, police departments, hospitals and most recently – our Austin Shelter for Women and Children.
Easy Tiger
Easy Tiger is commits to baking 10,000 loaves for the community over the next 60 days. They are working with Central Texas Food Bank, Keep Austin Fed, Drive A Senior CentralTexas and Mobile Loaves & Fishes to provide freshly baked goods to those in need.
How You Can Help:
Order Curbside or Delivery and add bread to your order. Donate a “Community Loaf” ($3) from the bread menu; add as many as you’d like.
Austin Coach Potatoes – Making Masks
Austin Coach Potatoes realized that their machinery and fabric at our factory in East Austin that can be used to make masks. They’ve connected with responders on the front lines and will be donating *masks to those who have need. They are also producing as many extras as we can and will donate those to our community too. *While these have not been approved by the FDA, the CDC did issue guidance that alternative masks can be used when other protective equipment is not available.
If you are in need of masks, or if you’d like more information, please email them at:
Masks@austincouches.com
Brotherton’s Black Iron Barbeque – Feeding People
Brotherton’s Black Iron Barbecue closed to do community outreach. They’ve partnered with First United Methodist Church, Pflugerville Community Church and Senior Access TX to get meals out to 250+ homebound seniors in our community. They also supplied meals to 250+ homeless people in the Austin area. We fed the staff at HEB 685/Pecan St. (because these are the real heroes right now) as well as all the other businesses in that strip center. At Liberty BBQ, we fed the staff at St. David’s Hospital in Round Rock. At the end of the day we gave away over 600 free meals.
Austin ISD – Feeding Students and Families
We are #AISDProud of our Austin ISD Food Services and Transportation Teams! Today, with help from partners like H-E-B, we were able to serve ~13,000 meals to students and families at delivery and curbside pick-up sites. More info about our program here: https://www.austinisd.org/coronavirus/meals. Donations to Austin Ed Fund’s crisis fund can be made at austinedfund.org.
Zilker Brewing Company – Hand Sanitizer
Zilker Brewing Company crafted some hand sanitizer at their Austin brewery. They donated two gallons of the first batch to Front Steps.
https://zilkerbeer.com
Still Austin Whiskey Co– Hand Sanitizer
Local whiskey distillery has geared up in preparation to produce over 100,000 gallons of hand santizier over the next few months. The company explains, “that’s nearly 12 million ounces of hand sanitizer – or roughly a soda can’s worth for every person in Austin.”
IKEA – Masks Donation
IKEA became the largest benefactor of medical face masks to Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg after employees found a stockpile of over 50,000 masks in a Stockholm warehouse.
H-E-B – Donates 75,000 Meals to Healthcare Workers
In an effort to thank the tireless efforts of healthcare workers across Texas, H-E-B will donate over 75,000 meals statewide as part of its Texans Helping Texans campaign. The meals will be delivered every week for the next five weeks.
McDonald’s Offers Free “Thank You Meals” to First Responders
The nationwide fast food chain will be offering a free “Thank You Meal” from April 22 to May 5 to first responders, including police officers, health care workers, fire fighters, and paramedics. Along with a note of appreciation, the meal will be served in the famous Happy Meal Box.
Austin Beer Garden Brewery – Feeding Families
Local Austin brewery has teamed up with Foundation Communities to help feed those in need right now. The brewery has fired up its pizza ovens to feed families twice a week during the ongoing crisis.
Crema Bakery and Cafe Offers “No Questions Asked” Free Meals
South Austin bakery, Crema, is offering “No Questions Asked” meals to anyone who contacts them. The bakery has given out over 700 sack lunches so far, and will continue to provide the service for the foreseeable future, even beyond the current COVID-19 crisis.
