12 Ways Cville Businesses Are Providing Relief

We’ve been amazed at the outstanding support, generosity, and leadership that has been shown in the wake of the global COVID-19 pandemic by so many businesses and nonprofits across our community. We wanted to shine a special spotlight on the support and relief efforts that have been going on from our 2020 Better Business Challenge.

CMA’s Colonial Nissan

Here’s how twelve Challenge organizations are leveraging their unique capabilities to act as positive forces in our local community:

Donating Protective Gear

CFA Institute donated masks to first responders and hospice caregivers.

CFA Institute has donated 2,800 N95 respirator masks to first responders and hospice caregivers in the Charlottesville region. The Charlottesville-based organization dipped into its stockpiles of masks that it usually reserves for employees going on international business trips. CFA Institute is also encouraging other businesses to take stock of their inventory and consider how certain materials may be useful to others during this crisis.

Swett Dentistry facilitated the donation of personal protective equipment (PPE) between medical providers around Charlottesville.  

Dr. David Swett and Dr. Rebecca Swett of Swett Dentistry leveraged their network of connections across the Charlottesville medical community to facilitate the delivery of much needed PPE to facilities with the highest need. 

CMA’s Colonial Nissan established a community helpline and volunteered their showroom as a collection and distribution point for PPE.

CMA’s Colonial Nissan has set up a helpline that any community member can call to receive help from CMA staff. In addition, CMA employees have been deployed to volunteer with groups like Meals on Wheels and the PB&J Fund. Finally, the CMA showroom is serving as a collection point for local stocks of PPE, which are then distributed to the medical facilities with the greatest need.

@rootsnk via Instagram

Food Donations 

Roots Natural Kitchen is donating food to organizations and people in need. 

Roots has donated over $5,000 of food to highly-affected segments of the community, including school organizations and residents of affordable housing. In addition, Roots is hosting bowl giveaways over Instagram: they’re matching Instagram likes by donating meals to families in need, and encouraging followers to tag friends as meal recipients who are either in extra need of support, or who are going out of their way to keep people safe.

The Pie Guy is delivering food to first responders. 

The Pie Guy spent last Friday delivering lunch to first responders around Charlottesville, including the police department, fire department, and the Charlottesville Albemarle Rescue Squad.

Charlottesville and Albemarle Public Schools are ensuring students have access to free meals over the districts’ scheduled Spring Break.

Both public school districts are partnering with local nonprofits and restaurants to ensure that students have access to food during their spring break, originally scheduled over the week of April 6. Efforts in conjunction with the Food Justice Network will deliver 4,000 free meals to Charlottesville students! In addition, Albemarle County Public Schools recently added two additional pickup sites to their meal distribution program.

Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry is adapting its operations to feed more people.

Loaves and Fishes has made some strategic changes to their operation to maximize their service to the community, including rearranging their warehouse for more efficient packaging, and setting up isolated workspaces for employees. They continue to offer free meals every Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday. 

@thepieguycville via Instagram

Other Support

Indoor Biotechnologies is genetically engineering COVID-19 proteins for use in research.

Indoor Biotechnologies is using their scientific infrastructure and capabilities to genetically engineer COVID-19 proteins, which will serve scientists who need the COVID-19 protein in their efforts of research, diagnostics, and vaccine development. 

Legal Aid Justice Center has launched an advocacy campaign to support low-income workers and affected community members.

As part of their advocacy efforts in the context of the COVID-19 crisis, the Legal Aid Justice Center wrote a letter to Governor Northam detailing specific recommendations for how the state government should protect all Virginians under COVID-19 circumstances. Their webpage provides local COVID-19 updates and resources for relevant topics, including housing, public benefits, immigration, courts, and more.

WillowTree has helped design and launch www.SupportCville.com .

WillowTree has worked in partnership with local journalist Jordy Yager to develop the Support Cville website, which collects and organizes the donating and receiving of time, money, and supplies related to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Charlottesville area. The website directs visitors towards how to best provide or receive support. 

@piedmonthousing via Instagram

Piedmont Housing Alliance has suspended evictions and late payments, and is dipping into an emergency assistance fund for its employees and residents.

The Piedmont Housing Alliance has suspended all evictions, pardoned late rent payments, and offered both residents and employees access to an emergency assistance fund that can help provide necessities.

The Center for Nonprofit Excellence is offering online classes to support nonprofits through the crisis.

The Center for Nonprofit Excellence has introduced new online programming to guide nonprofits towards effective responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

We are so proud to be a part of such a caring community!