Our Part in Helping the Crisis
9/21/20 3:24 pm PST
How does one even begin to explain the year of 2020? An immense force of tragic events have taken hold of the world, and everyone is scrambling to grab a foothold. The shock factor of the Coronavirus began to sink-in in January of 2020 as Seattle, Los Angeles, New York, and other coastal cities in the United States increasingly got worse. Schools shut down, countries shut their borders, and the global economy took one of the biggest hits in history. The death toll rose and the virus spread.
Let us take a step back for a second for an introduction. My name is Cayman Silliman and I am a 21 year old student at the University of Southern California studying International Relations. I have spent years studying the ways in which political leaders and global organizations interact with one another. I applied to Duet as a Marketing Intern, and am beyond thrilled to get the opportunity to help publicize such an amazing tech non-profit.
Once COVID-19 began to impact our home base in Los Angeles, the Duet team pushed to fast-track our plans on expanding our web-based platform to help our fellow Angelenos during these financially difficult times.
Companies in almost every field of work have had to lay off workers in order to stay afloat; some have gone under completely due to a lack of demand during the global pandemic. Young people living in Los Angeles are being laid off or are being thrown into one of the most unstable job markets in history. Many experience housing insecurity or are scrambling to find their next meals. Web-based shopping has become the most feasible way to gain access to the things you need such as groceries, medicine, education, etc. so while people are bored at home online shopping, they can now shop for the food that others in Los Angeles need.
Everyone has a role in a crisis such as a global pandemic, and Duet has found theirs. We have partnered with Safe Place for Youth and First Place for Youth to help alleviate some of the financial stress caused by COVID-19. We support young Anglenos who are at high risk of experiencing housing insecurity and who have just lost their jobs during the pandemic. By building on our foundation of choice, community, and connection, neighbours are helping neighbors by providing hot meals - all through the Duet platform.
With our partnership with Everytable, a business that strives to help make healthy and affordable meals more accessible in the Los Angeles area, Duet has acknowledged its part to help the people of Los Angeles battle the economic turmoil that COVID-19 has brought on. Donors now have the option to select how many meals they would like to provide for a family in need. Whether it be one dinner or an entire week's worth of meals, you get the transparency of knowing who the meals are benefitting and when they are received through a confirmation email. You choose the meal, Everytable delivers, and a young Angeleno in need can enjoy their dinner.
Our web-based platform gives people who want to help an outlet to quickly and effectively provide support to those in need. Located on our website are the stories of many young Angelenos such as the Hatchford Family. We invite you to visit our website, meet the families we work with, and learn how meaningful a small donation of even $6.50 can be.
Whether you have lost your job and have moved in with your parents, or you have thankfully kept your job and are working remote, you always have a chance to help others whether it be a small donation of a Buffalo Chicken Wrap or a week’s supply of healthy meals.
