SF New Deal Surpasses $1 Million in Financial Relief to SF Restaurants & Expands Services with Support of Cruise Self-Driving Cars

SAN FRANCISCO, April 30, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- SF New Deal Executive Director Lenore Estrada today announced three milestones in its Covid-19 relief efforts: $1 million dollars in direct financial relief to SF Small Businesses, over 98,698 meals delivered to City residents, and a new partnership with Cruise self-driving cars.

"At a time when small businesses continue to struggle through the economic impact of an extended shelter in place order, the San Francisco community, along with city partners like the Human Rights Commission, are forging a new path of collective action," Estrada says. "This coalition has provided over $1 million in financial relief to local businesses -- local direct action to protect San Francisco residents from food insecurity and economic instability is not only possible but necessary to ensure every resident's well being and to facilitate recovery for San Francisco."

SF New Deal, also formalized a partnership with Cruise to deploy part of their fleet of all-electric self-driving cars to help deliver thousands of meals in collaboration with UCSF's Division of Citywide Case Management, Tenderloin Housing Clinic, the San Francisco African American Faith Based Coalition, the City of San Francisco's Human rights Commission and several others. Cruise is also partnering with SF-Marin Food Bank to provide these contactless deliveries.

"The impact that Cruise's support has had on SF New Deal's operations has been tremendous. The volunteers who have been freed up by the delivery resources Cruise provides are now able to redirect their efforts to offer more direct support to our partner organizations, bring PPE to partner sites and restaurants, and seek out more sources of funding to provide even more meals to our neighbors in need here in San Francisco," continued Estrada. "The support from Cruise has been crucial to our ability to expand our services (the number of restaurants we are serving, the number of meals we are providing, and the number of partner organizations we are able to work with)."

In its fifth week, SF New Deal's Covid-19 relief efforts delivered 28,897 meals to residents and disbursed $208,710 to local food businesses. Newly- forged relationships with other San Francisco community groups and businesses include partnerships with Refugee and Immigrant Supports in Education SF and 18 Reasons to provide 150 families of unaccompanied minors and undocumented immigrants with access to groceries during the entirety of the shelter in place order.

Merrill Family Foundation's generous $100,000 contribution comes at a critical time.

"SF New Deal is a shining example of what can be accomplished when people ignore worrying about what can't be done and just do it! They align very well with our concern for San Francisco small businesses and for individuals and families worried about where their next meal will come from. Emmett Shear's willingness to step up in this time of crisis with seed funding and pulling together this remarkable team led by Lenore Estrada make us extraordinarily proud to support this effort," said a spokesperson for the Merrill Family.

SF New Deal is pairing restaurants with existing City and Community Organizations to cook and distribute food to churches, clinics, public housing sites, SROs, and through outreach to homebound neighbors. Our community partners include:

• Asian Pacific Fund Community Foundation
• Catholic Charities San Francisco
• Chinatown Community Development Center (CCDC)
• City of San Francisco's Human Rights Commission (SFHRC)
• Coleman Advocates
• Homeless Prenatal Program
• Korean Community Center
• Larkin Street Youth Services
• Providence Foundation of San Francisco
• Refugee and Immigrants Support in Education SF (RISE SF)
• SF African American Faith-Based Coalition (SFAAFBC)
• San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH)
• Tenderloin Housing Clinic
• UCSF Citywide Case Management (CCM) & SF Pretrial Diversion Project
• World Central Kitchen
• ZSF General Hospital Department of Psychiatry

SF New Deal mobilized on March 23, 2020 to provide immediate relief to small businesses while they await government aid in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis. SF New Deal is here to help our neighbors stay safe. Addressing their needs is:

• CRITICAL to flattening the curve and preserving the capacity of local medical systems to address acute needs
• COMPASSIONATE by keeping our communities nourished, food secure, and connected
• PREVENTATIVE by providing community- based, restorative care to chronically underserved communities, especially those who lack mobility, are housing insecure, or are justice-involved
• THE RIGHT THING TO DO. No one should go hungry during this time.

The shelter-in-place order is causing severe disruption to small businesses. An estimated 30 percent of restaurants will permanently close as a result of this shutdown. Approximately 25 percentt of restaurant workers are immigrants and/or undocumented and thus not eligible for many government programs. Supporting local small restaurants to fill this community need serves as a vital lifeline for employers and those looking to work.

SF New Deal launched with a personal commitment of $1,000,000 from Twitch CEO Emmett Shear. Says Shear, "We know that our local economies will take time to recover, but we cannot let our neighbors go hungry. Local businesses and organizations are ready to do the work to make food and to help organize delivery to those in need, but they need support from ALL of us. Join us in helping support them."

SF New Deal is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit. Personal donations can be made via SFnewdeal.org. Any individuals interested in making larger gifts from donor-advised funds, trusts, corporate sponsorship, or employer match programs can contact SF New Deal at [email protected] or by calling 415-967-8247.

We are working closely with our partners to support the public good - many hands make work light and together we are healing our City of St. Francis. Join us.

SOURCE SF New Deal