Community Care Program Update

Greetings Members and Friends,

We are writing to notify you about upcoming changes to the Fresh Food Box program during the next few weeks. We are closely monitoring Covid-19, and assessing the role of the organization in providing healthy food for our community. Preparing these food boxes takes a coordinated effort among staff and volunteers in order to get the produce into your vehicles, as you drive up and on your doorstep, for those who require delivery assistance. While doing this, we are also putting our staff and volunteers at risk of exposure and of spreading the virus.

Because of this increased risk, we will be taking a break from distributing food boxes during the week of July 6 to July 10th.

We also understand that not all community members can stay home, many are still out working and others have no other choice but to continue to go out. In these cases, we are trying to provide support so time away from home is minimal to only working and essential needs.

July 1st Food Boxes were accompanied by a Community Care Package including hand sanitizer, antibacterial soap, masks, cleaning supplies and immune boosting supplements. In addition, it also included a $20 cash stipend since we will not offer a food box on July 9th, and encourage everyone to stay home as much as possible in order to stop the spread of COVID-19 which has made Texas and Bexar County a hotspot for the pandemic. We also want to encourage members and friends to please wear a mask when going out.

We apologize for any disruption and hope that everyone is using precaution as we move into a period of rapid spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Just Recovery is possible when we support each other. Community care is a deep part of our work and we are focusing on what we can do for our members. This framework allows us to move money to support members and our community in general, to distribute healthy food, and to continue to check in on one another. In this moment it is extremely important to talk to one another, share information or give support. In our mind, this is solidarity and mutual aid, not just charity. We are also working on policy to ensure the communities safety net does not disappear. Mental, physical and spiritual health is important for the organization, together we can reach the other side. If we can support you in any other way please let us know.

Below is a breakdown of our just recovery program amid the Pandemic. SWU has helped move:

* $23,000 to undocumented community members in Bexar County

* $6,000 in utility and rent assistance

* $1,500 to the Black Futures Collective

* 730 produce boxes

* 200 handmade face masks

*$2,600 cash food stipends for the week staff and volunteers are taking time to rest and repose

We will be in communication once the program resumes. If you would like to become a part of our mutual aid/just recovery programming please connect with us by email at staff@swunion.org If you would like to donate towards our program please click here

Paz y Amor,

SWU Familia