TNDC's Response to COVID-19
Dated 3.19.2020
Dear Friends of TNDC,
As we all face the Public Health Order to “shelter in place” amid growing concerns around COVID-19, we urge you to feel the power of community. To remember that right now, we are in this together and need to support one another, especially our most vulnerable neighbors including TNDC’s 5,800 tenants.
At TNDC, our responsibility is profound. Approximately half of TNDC’s 4,000 homes are occupied by seniors, and a large percentage of our non-seniors live with chronic or serious health conditions, putting them at higher risk of COVID-19. And the communities we serve—communities with less money and access to resources—are harmed the most in times of crisis.
Our priority is to lead with our values and make thoughtful choices to protect our entire community, including you. Right now we are:
- Reminding our community that there is no racial, ethnic or cultural basis for COVID-19
- Monitoring updates on COVID-19 from the SF Department of Public Health (SFDPH), Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and the Mayor London Breed’s Office; speaking with our peers and integrating recommendations into our plans on a continuous basis
- Working with SFDPH on a plan should someone within our buildings get a COVID-19 diagnosis
Our Buildings and Programs
- Continuing to support tenants within our buildings. As an organization providing essential food, shelter, and social services for those most at risk right now, we will continue to staff our buildings. We take it very seriously that our staff continues to offer support to tenants amid uncertainty and isolation, but recognize we must protect both staff and tenants. We are taking additional safety precautions, including enhanced sanitizing practices at all 43 of our buildings. See guidelines we are following from the SFDPH Order of the Health Officer.
- Ensuring the hundreds of people we feed won’t go hungry. We are continuing to staff our food pantries following strict guidelines from the SF-Marin Food Bank on handling
- Honoring the CDC recommendations to cancel all community events. We have cancelled all community events within and outside our buildings
- Following the SF United School District’s school closures, the TNDC Tenderloin After-School Program (TASP) has also closed its programming to prevent the spread of COVID-19
Our Staff
- Offering an additional ten days of paid leave for staff who are unable to work as a result of COVID-19, including those who are taking care of others, impacted by school closures, feeling physically or psychologically unwell, etc. It’s critical to us that our staff can take care of themselves and their loved ones, and that their financial situation doesn’t interfere with that
- Requiring all staff who can work from home to do so, and devising protocols to protect onsite staff and limit interaction across the board
TNDC Birthday Dinner
- Postponing the TNDC Birthday Dinner, originally scheduled for May 1, in light of the CDC’s recommendations. We are currently considering alternatives so that we can still offer a safe, joyful event that supports our Food & Wellness work and prioritizes the health and well-being of our entire community
San Francisco at Large
- Working with City partners to advocate for the health of our unhoused community members and advocating for people facing economic challenges due to COVID-19 at the Federal level
We will continue to adapt our work to best protect our community and keep you informed as we move forward. We remain diligent and hopeful as we meet this challenging moment together.
In community,
Donald S. Falk, CEO
