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Dear Neighbors,
As your representative, I am asking you to STAY HOME, STAY SAFE. This is not a drill. The choices each of us make over the next few weeks are truly a matter of life and death.
We need everyone who can to stay home and refrain from activities outside the home that are not essential. We have a window to slow the spread of COVID-19, and each of us needs to recognize our duty to help.
Today the City of Austin and Travis County issued stay in place orders. I encourage you to read the full document and act accordingly. I know many of you have questions. If your questions remain unanswered after reading the full order, please email us and we will seek clarifications for you. Additionally, you can visit the City’s COVID-19 website for daily updates on the situation.
Each of us is learning to adjust. Every organization I know – public, private, nonprofit – is working hard to serve its clients. This is not business as usual for anyone – the City of Austin included.
We in the city are working to address community needs in the short run and planning for the long term. We should all acknowledge that the way forward will require sacrifice, creativity, and innovation, as well as patience.
As we adapt to our changed circumstances, I ask that each of you seek ways (within the confines of stay home, stay safe) to support one another and the most vulnerable among us. Below, I’ve highlighted some ways to help.
My office is working remotely and available to help you navigate this time. Please reach out to us at district10@austintexas.gov. We are experimenting with new methods to connect virtually, and welcome your suggestions.
Stay healthy.
With gratitude,
Alison Alter
Council Member, District 10 |
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| | Table of Contents - Drive A Senior-West Austin Food Pantry
- Help the Central Texas Food Bank
- H-E-B/Favor Food Delivery Partnership for Seniors
- AISD Crisis Support Fund
- AISD Food Services
- AISD Learning at Home
- Personal Protective Equipment Drives
- Remote Testimony at the March 26th Council Meeting
- Austin Chamber Business Impact Survey
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| | | Drive A Senior-West Austin Food Pantry
Drive A Senior-West Austin (DASW) will have a free emergency food pantry for seniors operating out of a location in Tarrytown available to any senior living in their service area. If a senior is in need, they must call our office and register with us for temporary services at (512) 472-6339.
DASW will also need healthy volunteers to help in 2-hour shifts. Only be 2-3 people will be in one large space at any given time, and DASW is sanitizing rooms 3 times a day and ensuring the highest safety standards are being used. Food donations (very specific) will come in, be sanitized, packaged, and picked up by volunteers to be delivered to seniors. Delivery drivers won't be getting out of their cars, anyone donating food will not be getting out of their cars. This will be a minimal person-to-person contact system. If you are interested, please email our office.
Please DO NOT CALL to volunteer; DASW needs to keep lines open for seniors. Instead, please email westaustin@driveasenior.org.
DASW needs food and paper-good donations. The following list includes items they are accepting from the community. Please note, DASW is limiting the donations to the following in order to build "Care Packs" that are suitable for seniors.
Please do not drop donations off without calling first: (512) 461-5954.
The following items are needed: - toilet paper
- instant oatmeal
- granola bars
- dry cereal low in sugar/sodium
- canned goods: beans, vegetables, fruit, soup, chili, canned meats
- applesauce
- crackers
- instant mashed potatoes
- nuts
- pasta
- peanut butter
- rice
- shelf-stable and powdered milk
- incontinence products
- bottled water
- frozen meals and frozen produce
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| | | Help the Central Texas Food Bank
I believe it is important to take actions that reflect our values as we adjust to disruptions in our daily routines. I would like to call your attention to a specific need in our community that is always present, but particularly critical as we take steps to keep our community safe from COVID-19 – stocking our food banks.
Please read and share the following message from the Central Texas Food Bank on how you can help:
The pandemic situation is evolving rapidly, but the Central Texas Food Bank has a long history of responding to emergencies and disasters. We are closely monitoring news from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and from state and local agencies regarding the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and its potential spread and weighing appropriate options for several possible scenarios that could play out.
The best way for the general public to help right now is to make a donation.
The Central Texas Food Bank provides vital relief for our 21 county service area, through more than 260 partner agencies and direct programs. As a food handling organization, the Central Texas Food Bank always takes precautions to combat the spread of germs. Our protocols are now even more stringent as we continue to focus keenly on food safety and sanitation in order to reduce risks.
We are experiencing a dramatic increase in need for our services as more people are impacted by shutdowns and work stoppages. We are working hard to convert our distribution model to emergency food boxes only while distributing food in drive-through settings wherever it is safe and practical to do so.
Our Volunteer Model is Adapting
We still need volunteers. Because we are providing an essential service in this time of need, the Food Bank is exempt from orders restricting the size of community gatherings. However, we’ve adjusted our volunteer shifts to include fewer people so we can maximize social distancing and we’re taking even more sanitary precautions than usual to minimize risks. If you’re healthy and not in a high-risk group, please consider helping out. Click here to volunteer.
Additional precautionary hygiene measures and contingencies are in place to maintain the health and wellness of our volunteer workforce as well as those that receive our food.
If your volunteer group does have to cancel, please consider the option of doing a virtual food drive (VFD) to help raise money online. Funds raised through a VFD are flexible – the Food Bank can put your dollars toward the area of greatest need, which helps us prepare for and respond to evolving situations like COVID-19.
Find out more about all of these ways to help at www.centraltexasfoodbank.org/get-involved and
www.centraltexasfoodbank.org/coronavirus-covid-19-update.
Thank you! |
| | | H-E-B/Favor Food Delivery Partnership for Seniors
H-E-B and Favor Delivery are piloting the Senior Support Line, a new delivery program designed to offer a safer solution for seniors (60+) across Texas. Seniors can place orders from curated list of essentials via a phone line, the Favor app, or at favordelivery.com/seniors. The line will be staffed with volunteers to accept/process home delivery orders via phone daily from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
To access, call 1-833-397-0080.
All fees will be waived for the first 30 days, with a $10 tip included in the order for the Favor Runner. As H-E-B and Favor continue to work together to serve Texans, please continue to be patient with their teams as they serve our communities.
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| | | AISD Crisis Support Fund
Together with the district, the Austin Ed Fund is announcing the AISD Crisis Support Fund – an effort to support our school communities by supplementing access to food services, health programs and remote learning. AISD will be closely monitoring the greatest need during this ever-changing situation and responding to new needs.
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| | | AISD Food Services
Starting March 23, AISD teams will prepare and provide meals for children under the age of 19 and their parents or caregivers at 70 locations while school is closed due to COVID-19 precautions. AISD will provide breakfast and lunch meal services to families with curbside AND delivery options.
Visit AISD's website to learn more. |
| | | AISD Learning at Home
AISD is providing learning activities for you and your students while we are away from the classroom. The district has created a Learning At-Home website, complete with online courses and recommended learning resources for all grade levels. Check it out and share with your neighbors! |
| | | Personal Protective Equipment Drives
Donate protective gear at 4 drop-off locations through March 28.
The Austin Disaster Relief Network (ADRN) is partnering with the Austin Emergency Management (HSEM) and Austin Public Health departments to facilitate collection of protective gear from the public, in response to the protection gear supply chain shortages for the medical community and healthcare workers throughout greater Austin. ADRN will ensure that all supplies get the appropriate sources. All donations are tax deductible.
- Austinites are encouraged to donate the following supplies:
- Hand Sanitizer (of all sizes)
- Antibacterial Soap
- N95 Masks (NEW)
- Surgical Masks (NEW)
- Industrial Masks (N-95 or Dust)
- Disinfectant Wipes (NEW)
- Latex-Free Gloves
- Eye Protection Goggles or glasses (NEW)
- Face Shields (NEW)
- Protective Gowns (water resistant)
- Disposable Food Grade Gloves
- Thermometers (NEW only) – old style or new style, especially non-contact version
ADRN is also accepting homemade masks.
ADRN is asking the public to drop off their extra supplies at the back dock of ADRN Headquarters/HOPE Family Thrift Store (1122 East 51st Street, Austin 78723) any day through Saturday, March 28, from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
ADRN is also partnering with three greater Austin churches to provide additional drop-off locations:
Celebration Church (North) 601 Westinghouse Rd – Georgetown, TX 78626 Mon-Fri, 10 a.m.-2p.m.
Greater Mt. Zion (East) 4301 Tannehill Ln – Austin TX 78721 Mon-Fri, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Life Austin (Southwest) 8901 W Hwy 71 – Austin TX 78736 Mon-Fri, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
For more info and list of supplies needed, please call (512) 825-8211 or visit https://bit.ly/3djhceF. Thank you! |
| | | Remote Testimony at the March 26th Council Meeting
The March 26th Austin City Council Meeting will be conducted with social distancing modifications. Public comment will be allowed via telephone; no in-person input will be allowed. All speakers must register by noon on Wednesday, March 25th. All public comment will occur at the beginning of the meeting starting at 2 p.m.
To speak remotely at the March 26, 2020 Council Meeting, residents must:
- Submit the online registration form found here. Registration must be received by noon on Wednesday, March 25.
- Once the registration form is received, residents will receive either an email or phone call providing the telephone number to call on Thursday.
- Citizen speakers must call in at least 30 minutes prior to meeting start in order to speak, late callers will not be accepted and will not be able to speak.
- Speakers will be placed in a queue until their time to speak.
Handouts or other information may be emailed to City.Clerk@austintexas.gov by noon on Wednesday. This information will be provided to Mayor and Council in advance of the meeting.
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| | | Austin Chamber Business Impact Survey
The Austin Chamber is conducting a survey to better understand the impact COVID-19 is having on our businesses. If you are a business owner, please take a few minutes to complete the online survey available here. |
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