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As a North Jersey Farmers Market Goes Virtual, It Finds a New Kind of Community

Brianna Baker

April 30, 2020 |

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Response Location: United States, Metuchen, New Jersey

In order to keep local farms and businesses afloat, the Metuchen Farmers Market in North Jersey went virtual. Volunteers for the market enlisted the help of the Canada-based Local Line to build the market's platform, which allows customers to place orders online for a weekend pickup.

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How Tennessee Is Getting Adult Students Back to School

Emily Nonko

April 29, 2020 |

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Response Location: United States, Tennessee

Tennessee Reconnect, which started as a small-scale "mentorship and financial support program", has now been adopted and expanded throughout the state as a way to help adults start or continue higher education. Now in its second year, the program matches applicants with "navigators," adult mentors who understand the specific student's financial and social challenges and helps them navigate the process every step of the way. The program also provides funding to students to pay for coursework and is now looking to expand its operations to jails and prisons.

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To Keep the Economy Afloat, the Fed Turns to North Dakota

Oscar Perry Abello

April 29, 2020 |

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Response Location: United States, Bismarck, South Dakota

The Bank of North Dakota is the only state-owned bank in the country, and their lending program is so effective that the federal government followed suit in the face of the unprecedented coronavirus. North Dakota's program is named The Main Street Lending Program, and it works by allowing local banks to be able to offer more loans to small businesses in their time of need by supplying 95% of the loan. This article explains how it works and lays out, policy by policy, the similarities and differences between North Dakota's approach and the federal government's subsequent approach.

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Working Capital for Economic Justice Comes in Handy During a Crisis

Oscar Perry Abello

April 28, 2020 |

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Response Location: United States, Oakland, California

A nonprofit called Common Future is acting quickly to support business owners during the coronavirus crisis. Their board allocated a set amount of money specifically to keep on hand as a rapid response fund, and by early April 2020, they distributed $250,000 in emergency funding to seven organizations. The recipients are intentionally from disadvantaged communities, like rural, black, Indigenous, and other hard-hit demographics. Each organization used the money in different ways to support their target communities. Common Future also set aside 6 months' worth of operating expenses as a buffer.

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Greensboro's Art-Dotted Greenway a Respite During COVID-19, and an Economic Engine After

Cinnamon Janzer

April 28, 2020 |

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Response Location: United States, Greensboro, North Carolina

The Downtown Greenway in Greensboro was already underway when the coronavirus hit and it has turned out to be quite the respite and economic boon. The Greenway draws visitors in with trails, greenways, public art, local businesses, and "the first grocery store to open in 30 years in downtown.” $8.5 million was invested in the project, but it has already brought in $215 million in revenue. The Downtown Greenway was created in partnership with the city and nonprofit Action Greensboro, and while it's currently being used with social distancing, it'll still be there when the quarantine is over.

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How Chelsea, Mass., Is Tackling Coronavirus

Meg Wilcox

April 22, 2020 |

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Response Location: United States, Chelsea, Massachusetts

The city of Chelsea's history of community organizing, intense coordination, and ongoing planning for climate resilience prepared it to quickly pivot and better address the coronavirus crisis than other under-resourced, predominantly immigrant communities. Still, local leaders are clear: state and federal resources are desperately needed in one of the Boston area's definitive hot spots.

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Mass. Groups Inviting People to Think Bigger About Their Stimulus Checks

Oscar Perry Abello

April 21, 2020 |

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Response Location: United States, Massachusetts

The stimulus checks sent out by the U.S. government in an attempt to alleviate the economic stress caused by the quarantine do not account for those who are undocumented, mixed-status families, and people who don't qualify for unemployment. What started as an idea between a few people grew into a state-wide fund called the Mass Redistribution Fund in which people donate their stimulus checks to those who cannot get one themselves. By April 15th the group had raised $25,000 from 54 donors and even secured a match pledge from the Hyams Foundation. Others are creating similar programs across the country.

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How Norway Convinced Drivers to Switch to Electric Cars

Maddy Savage

April 21, 2020 |

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Response Location: Norway

Norway provides financial incentives for its citizens to transition to electric vehicles. The strategy is working—electric vehicles are responsible for 40 percent of new car sales, compared to 2 percent in the United States.

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Minnesota Library Launches COVID-19 Hotline to Answer Resident Questions

Elizabeth Pandolfi

April 16, 2020 |

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Response Location: United States, Rochester, Minnesota

Libraries satisfy a wide range of needs for the communities they serve, and the one in Rochester is no different. The Rochester Public Library has established a COVID-19 hotline for residents to ask any question they want. The hotline was produced by Rochester’s Continuity of Operations Plan, and it gives anyone who calls accurate, up-to-date information, resources, and information. Having started at the end of March 2020, the library now averages about 60 calls a day. The library also conducts “social connectedness” calls to individual residents to make sure they are feeling well and are well-supplied.

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Once-Struggling New Jersey Farm Offers Bounty of Vegetables and More to Social-Distancing Customers

Brianna Baker

April 16, 2020 |

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Response Location: United States, Pennington, New Jersey

With grocery stores at capacity with delivery services, and people not wanting to leave their homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, local farms like Honey Brook Organic Farm are seeing huge increases in business. The New Jersey farm had already started shifting from a CSA model to delivery, so they used that infrastructure to easily pivot. Collaboration with other local farms has been key, so beyond their produce, they’re partnering with their network to deliver meat, eggs, and even prepared meals from local restaurants.

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