When the coronavirus got to San Francisco, we were floored by how quickly our normal could change. Our daily routines were upended, schools were closed, and small businesses, including our kimono shop, shut down due to the Coronavirus outbreak. We’re navigating teaching our kids at home, while working at home, and trying to stay at home as much as possible. We know that folks in San Francisco and all around the world need relief and recovery as quickly as they can get it, so we started asking ourselves, how can we help during the Coronavirus outbreak?
Last month, we shared our giveback efforts in bringing a little comfort to our front line workers at the SFPD and ZSFG in partnership with Andytown. We sent these amazing heroes coffee and treats to brighten their days and help sustain them through the long hours on the front line. And we collaborated on giveaways and care packages for customers feeling the effects of shelter in place orders all over the country. You can read about those first efforts here. Because of your purchases and the support you’ve continually shown our small business during this crisis, we are able to continue giveback efforts all around San Francisco. Here’s what we’ve been working on this month:
When we heard about SF New Deal, an initiative launched in March to provide immediate relief to small businesses while they await government aid in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, we knew we wanted to work with them. Because of your purchases, we’ve been able to take a portion of our sales and donate a week’s worth of meals to Gum Moon Womens’ Residence with food from beloved local restaurant Capital Restaurant. SF New Deal says, “Many factors go into pairing restaurants with community sites, but in this case, Gum Moon has had a long history with Capital Restaurant in Chinatown. Capital is quite beloved in Chinatown for their continued presence in the neighborhood, it’s woman-owned by someone who was once a server there, and has been in the neighborhood for almost 3 decades.” We were so grateful to be able to share the good will you’ve shown us with the women at Gum Moon and the team at Capital.
When we got the call that Gordon Manor, a family owned nursing home and senior facility was in dire need of face masks, we jumped at the chance to help this community as well. Due to the ongoing challenges of the coronavirus, the facility was short staffed and running out of PPE (personal protective equipment) as the COVID positive population at the facility continued to increase. On April 24th, we were able to donate 1000 face masks to the incredible nursing staff and facility staff to stay protected while caring for our most vulnerable member of our community. This was only possible because you continue to support our small business, and we cannot say thank you enough for helping us maintain our ability to give back to our beloved community.
We know that staying at home can be extremely challenging and test our capacities at every level. But we have been inspired at every level by seeing you make the most of it. Whether it’s by wearing your kimono robe, making your face mask fashion, sharing photos of your kids, making music, art, or anything else that uplifts others, we have been so grateful for your positive energy and encouragement of our small business during this challenging time. Please know that every purchase you make with our small business, continues to give back to the community that has supported us for all of these years. Your purchases help us give underserved populations and frontline heroes the support they deserve and remind us that we truly are all in this together.
Please stay tuned here and on our Instagram feed to see how we’ll continue to give back to our community and customers. And of course, as a small thank you, please continue to take 10% off every order with code BEWELL and take advantage of free shipping on all US orders over $50. We hope we can continue to bring a little more comfort and joy to your every day. Thank you so much for your love and support.
