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Banking on community, local lenders secure PPP loans for businesses

Mara Abbott

April 29, 2020 |

Buffalo Bulletin |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Johnson County, Wyoming

Community banks in Wyoming were able to better serve local businesses in securing federal funds from the Paycheck Protection Program. The smaller banks were able to quickly pivot their staffing and operations need to process the overwhelming number of applicants, resulting in an approval rate of 100 percent in some counties. Personal connections in the smaller communities also led banks to work overtime and do everything in their power to help local businesses, in contrast to big banks which appeared to prioritize clients with higher net worth, according to reports.

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Working Capital for Economic Justice Comes in Handy During a Crisis

Oscar Perry Abello

April 28, 2020 |

Next City |

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1500-3000 Words

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

Oscar Perry Abello

April 21, 2020 |

Next City |

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800-1500 Words

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 Korea's galleries evaded a coronavirus standstill

Lisa Movius

April 20, 2020 |

The Art Newspaper |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: South Korea, Seoul

South Korea's successful response to the pandemic goes beyond containing the virus; it has also supported its art scene at a time when the arts seem to be on the backburner. Commerical galleries have been allowed to remain open with the enforcement of social distancing, hygiene, and sharing of personal information for the sake of contact tracing. While art markets around the world grind to a halt, South Korean galleries have had a steady pace of sales and are quickly returning to their pre-pandemic numbers. The government is also providing a variety of relief funds for art curators, artists, and galleries.

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Who is helping Texas businesses save jobs?

Ted Oberg

April 17, 2020 |

KTRK-TV |

Broadcast TV News |

Under 3 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Sugarland, Texas

Community banks in Texas have outpaced much larger national banks in approving and funding loans that are keeping businesses afloat during the pandemic-induced lockdown. The lone star state leads in the number of loans processed totaling $17 billion - saving a reported 200,000 jobs. Businesses in Texas have received more loans than any other state due to community banks that have been working around the clock. The banks have managed to approve as many loans as they typically would in an 18-month period.

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Refugee Chefs Are Cooking Free Meals For Vulnerable D.C. Residents

Mikaela Lefrak

April 15, 2020 |

American University Radio (WAMU) |

Radio |

Under 3 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Washington, District of Columbia

A D.C.-area nonprofit that normally links refugee and immigrant chefs with paid internships at local restaurants has pivoted to directly paying those chefs to produce meals to donate across the DMV area for COVID-19 relief. Using a GoFundMe page that has so far raised almost $9,000, Tables without Borders has begun paying chefs $25 an hour to make 250 meals inspired by where they come from. The program is still in its early stages, but so far they have donated meals to Howard University Hospital night-shift workers, a homeless shelter in Arlington, and a nonprofit that works with Latin American immigrants.

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How Europe manages to keep a lid on coronavirus unemployment while it spikes in the U.S.

Michael Birnbaum

April 11, 2020 |

The Washington Post |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: France

European countries like France and Germany have been able to keep their unemployment rates low because of pre-existing programs that have been called to action during COVID-19. In France, the government subsidizes up to 84% of wages to incentive companies not to lay their employees off. In Germany, their short-time work program pays up to two-thirds of employee pay. While not an inexpensive method, some say it could help their economies replenish quicker after the pandemic.

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Los Angeles Offering Cash Cards for Laid-Off Angelenos, with No Strings Attached

Zoe Sullivan

April 10, 2020 |

Next City |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Los Angeles, California

The Mayor’s Fund for the City of Los Angeles has launched a program that literally hands people cash, no strings attached as long as they can prove that they have lost their jobs during the pandemic. In order to make the process as quick and seamless as possible, they issued debit cards instead of checks (making it more accessible to those without bank accounts), making the cards fee-free, and by making the process to apply as simple as 2 phone calls. They also had $1 million in grocery store gift cards, but the supply was exhausted in a few days.

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What a Solidarity Economy Looks Like

Paul Katz Leandro Ferreira

April 09, 2020 |

Boston Review |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: Brazil, Maricá

The local government in Maricá, a small municipality in Brazil, is being said to have initiated "the most ambitious city-level response to COVID-19 in Brazil, and one of the most notable in the world." Even before the coronavirus spread, the city worked on the premise of mutual aid, which included a universal basic income and a solidarity economy. In the context of the coronavirus, these proactive policies are now emerging as examples of how a democratized economy can result in a region being better positioned to withstand a public health crisis.

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How custodians in Durham Public Schools were granted paid emergency leave

Victoria Johnson

April 09, 2020 |

The Daily Tar Heel |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, North Carolina

In March 2020, North Carolina’s Board of Education, in response to COVID-19, approved paid emergency leave for all school employees – but with 100% pay only going to those that qualify as “high risk.” With many of the affected employees being Spanish-only speakers explanations of the detailed leave policies were not comprehensive, making the roll out of the relief confusing and inaccessible.

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