Ever since the Coronavirus got to San Francisco, we have been floored by how quickly normal can change. Our daily routines have been upended, schools have been closed, and small businesses, including our kimono shop, have been 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?
Day in and out, we are inspired and grateful for the care our community receives from the healthcare workers, essential workers, and police officers who give so much to us. These workers are on the frontlines of the coronavirus crisis, working long hours in dangerous situations so we can all be safe. They are the backbone of our community and the helpers who will bring us through COVID-19 to the other side. They are there for us every day as things continue to evolve, often tired and overworked and missing their own families. In short, they keep us safe and healthy. It’s for this reason that we started thinking about how we could give back to these incredible people.
Being a small business, we also understand how hard it is to navigate this new normal. While our kimono robes are still available online and, thus far, our shipping capabilities haven’t changed, our kimono shop on Grant Avenue in Chinatown was forced to close down due to the San Francisco shelter in place order. We know how difficult it can be to cut workers’ hours, figure out how to work from home, and stay afloat against the odds. We also know that we are always stronger when we stand together (even when staying apart). So with our gratitude and hopefulness in mind, we also wanted to find a way to support other local small businesses who were forced to close down or alter their services due to COVID-19.
In thinking about how we could help and support all of these groups, KIM+ONO decided to use a portion of all of our sales to support small businesses who are running initiatives to help our frontline heroes or running online programs to create a nurturing space for the rest of us while we stay at home. Whether through donations to hospitals, online workshops, and other ways of reinventing business during this challenging time, we are seeking out ways to nourish our community and provide relief in a meaningful and impactful way.
That means, every kimono robe you purchase doesn’t just support our small business, but the small businesses, healthcare workers, and police officers in our neighborhoods as well. And, because we care about our larger community beyond our neighborhood in San Francisco, a portion of our sales will also be allocated to programs our customers can tune into from home to make sure that self care and wellness don’t fall by the wayside even as times are difficult.
It’s our hope that by giving back to the community in whatever way we can, we all find the resilience and vision we need to make it through this Coronavirus outbreak and end up better than we started. Stay tuned here, on Instagram, and via our email list to see how your purchases are impacting our community.
And from the whole team at KIM+ONO, please stay home, stay safe, and be well. We’re in this together.
Hi Cynthia,
It’s so good to hear that your kimono robe is bringing you a little comfort during this time. It is certainly a challenging one, but we’ll get through it together! Thanks for sharing your kind words with us. <3