coronavirus Archives - Page 4 of 4

Published on March 20, 2020August 20, 2021

3 mins read

Adenah Bayoh to Serve Free Breakfast & Lunches at Her 3 IHOPs and Guarantee 2 Weeks of Pay for Her Workers

Restaurateur and real estate developer Adenah Bayoh announced yesterday that she will be providing free take-out breakfast and lunch on weekdays at her 3 IHOP locations, Paterson, Newark, and Irvington, NJ every day until school reopens.

Adenah Bayoh

Starting March 19th, families in need can pick up pancakes for breakfast from 7:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. and sandwiches for lunch between 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. While this measure is to provide for children who are out of school and have therefore lost access to breakfast and lunch, any individual who is in need during this crisis can take advantage of this opportunity.

“The economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting the most vulnerable people in our society,” remarked Adenah Bayoh, Founder of Adenah Bayoh & Companies. “I grew up in communities where I learned that nothing is more important than taking care of each other.

No child should go without a meal because schools are closed. No adult should be hungry while navigating the risks of a global pandemic. It is my pleasure and privilege to serve the communities that have been so integral to the success of my businesses.”

Adenah is also working with Irvington Councilwoman Jamillah Z. Beasley, to deliver free meals to seniors in Irvington. While all of Adenah’s businesses, including the 4 New Jersey and Pennsylvania locations of her Cornbread restaurants, will be on limited operations for the next 2 weeks, she has guaranteed that all of her employees will be paid, whether they are able to work or not.

adenah bayoh

She has tasked her general managers with ensuring that employees have everything they need including shift adjustments if they have childcare conflicts while school is out.

adenah bayoh
“Unprecedented times require unprecedented solutions,” added Adenah. “This is a moment for businesses to step up and give back to the communities that support us every day. As business owners we must invest in the safety and security of the places we call home, and ensure that all of our people survive this crisis.”

Whether it is her annual “Breakfast for Dinner” event where she serves 750 families at her IHOP locations every December, or hosting Thanksgiving dinner for Newark families, Adenah makes it a priority to serve the communities where her businesses are located.

-Tony O.Lawson

Published on March 19, 2020April 5, 2020

2 mins read

Atlanta man assembles portable hand washing stations for homeless

Terence Lester is bringing portable hand washing stations to people experiencing homelessness throughout the city.

Lester, one of the organizers of Love Beyond Walls, a group that supports the needs of homeless residents, said he came up with the idea to create hand-washing stations last week as more updates related to coronavirus were being released.

“I started wondering how homeless people would keep their hands cleans, it’s already difficult,” Lester said.

And when the Center for Disease Control told the public to go into social distancing, it heightened his concern for people without access to clean water.

“The reality is some people are going to live on the streets and be on the streets,” Lester said.

Lester got on the phone and started contacting RV manufactures, who could use technology that helps build portable hand washing stations.

Within a week, 15 portable machines have been donated to Lester, each holding between 5 and 10 gallons of water.

Members from Love Beyond Walls will be taking the machines throughout the “heart of the city,” according to Lester.

During our phone interview, Lester revealed he experienced homelessness as a teenager.

“When I was experiencing homelessness being out there, you would have to go a mile or two to wash your hands or go to the bathroom,” Lester said. “I wanted to make sure we put stations in parts where people are under bridges, just in case someone wants to stop and wash their hands.”

Lester says he hopes to help other organizations throughout the country give the homeless freshwater resources.

Source: 11Alive

Published on March 18, 2020

4 mins read

Coronavirus and Black Entrepreneurship: The Impact On My Life And Business – KEEWA

Coronavirus was declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020. Since then, it has spread quickly, causing thousands of deaths globally.

The virus has also resulted in a brutal decline in economic activity that is hitting many Black owned businesses and professionals hard.

In this series, we will be sharing personal stories from Black entrepreneurs and professionals about how they are dealing with this new Coronavirus reality.

What were your initial thoughts when you learned about the outbreak?

When I heard about the outbreak in China, I don’t think I connected it to a future in America. I empathized for the people who passed or were quarantined over there, but, as someone who doesn’t follow news closely, I kind of left it at that. It’s crazy that we watched this virus initially affect just one region in China, and now it’s here in all 50 states and all over the world. I am constantly bouncing between worry for my family and business, and just being in awe over experiencing something on this scale for the first time.

How has it affected your business?

Our storefront is closed, so that feels surreal. We are usually open 7 days a week. Our shop is located right in the heart of Chicago, and in a week, because of the heavy foot traffic, anywhere from 70-80% of our customers are first timers. So, right now, we are doing anything we can to encourage our repeat customers to buy something online and gain new followers who will hopefully buy from the site too.

How has it affected your lifestyle?

We have 2 young children, and we are all home together, so there’s a lot going on right now! My husband and I are just trying to keep the kids healthy, fed, and entertained. They require a lot of attention, and we are giving it to them. As the weeks go on, we will see what kind of small business relief we are able to get. Only time will tell how this thing will affect our business and our lifestyle as a whole.

What new strategies have you implemented or do you plan to implement in your business?

We usually have a weekly story time and a variety of other classes and events in the shop. Right now, we are experimenting with offering some of them online. It’s very hard, however, to be productive with a 2- and 4-year old at home. We are also offering free shipping right now, and we may step up the ads on Instagram and Facebook.

If you had one ask of your community right now, what would it be?

Spread love and shop small! Our network of families love us because of our events and things we do to bring the community together, but those things can’t happen right now. In order to keep our doors open, we need our supporters to buy a gift card, book, t-shirt, or a toy, so that when this is over, we have somewhere to get together again.

-Tony O. Lawson

Published on March 18, 2020March 18, 2020

3 mins read

Coronavirus and Black Entrepreneurship: The Impact On My Life And Business – KRISTIAN

Coronavirus was declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020. Since then, it has spread quickly, causing thousands of deaths globally.

The virus has also resulted in a brutal decline in economic activity that is hitting many Black owned businesses and professionals hard.

In this series, we will be sharing personal stories from Black entrepreneurs and professionals about how they are dealing with this new Coronavirus reality.

What were your initial thoughts when you learned about the outbreak?

Because I have a doctorate in public health, I had a lot of questions about the source, function, impact, and spread. Because of the uncertainty, I wanted answers to the questions that we still have a hard time answering. I want to better understand corona.

How has it affected your business?

Revenue has dropped. Even with less sales, I still need to pay my invoices. I need capital, so I decided to get a loan. I found ClearBanc and they were a perfect solution. ClearBanc works by looking at your numbers in your eCommerce store and making you a loan based on your trends. With their help, I am able to invest in marketing and stocking my marketplace back up.

Click here ( https://get.clearbanc.com/vendors-preferred/ ) to see full a list of preferred vendors. Bonus: Anyone I recommend gets a $500 bonus towards your repayment! For more info, send an email to Kristian@blkgrn.com.

How has it affected your lifestyle?

Me and my husband are doing self isolation. We aren’t leaving our house, and I have canceled every meeting the month of March. My husband is a teacher, so his job closed all schools. So we are both at home and spending quality time with each other and our son.

What new strategies have you implemented or do you plan to implement in your business?

I picked, packed, and shipped all the BLK + GRN orders myself. I am moving BLK + GRN to a wonderful Black-owned fulfillment center in April, so if we get quarantined again, I don’t have to take trips to the post office.

If you had one ask of your community right now, what would it be?

We sympathize with everyone going through this coronavirus epidemic. We stand with you during this really difficult time. As you isolate yourself from social gatherings and have to shop online, BLK + GRN (www.BLKGRN.com) is here so you can get what you need for your home without leaving the house. Use our special discount code to save!

-Tony O. Lawson

Published on March 18, 2020March 18, 2020

3 mins read

Coronavirus and Black Entrepreneurship: The Impact On My Life And Business – AYESHA

Coronavirus was declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020. Since then, it has spread quickly, causing thousands of deaths globally.

The virus has also resulted in a brutal decline in economic activity that is hitting many Black owned businesses and professionals hard.

In this series, we will be sharing personal stories from Black entrepreneurs and professionals about how they are dealing with this new Coronavirus reality.

What were your initial thoughts when you learned about the outbreak?

I tend to be an optimistic thinker so I honestly didn’t think it was that big of a deal at first. It wasn’t until the CDC started to get adamant about shutdowns did I think this was really a problem.

How has it affected your business?

I have three businesses that are all impacted by this. First, as a landlord, i’ve already heard from a few tenants who’ve told me that they’re out of work for weeks without pay or their employer has cut their pay to keep the business afloat. That means my rents will be impacted.

Second, I’m a licensed general contractor for my own projects. The city has shut down which means I can’t submit plans or get permits. I’m at a standstill on multiple projects.

Lastly, my primary trade is as a licensed stock broker—so the markets being down over 30% (as of today) impacts every part of my business. I’ve spent a big chunk of the last two weeks talking to clients that were concerned about their assets and their income.

How has it affected your lifestyle?

I tend to love somewhat modestly so this hasn’t impacted my lifestyle very much. I’m also not an outgoing person so social distancing is actually a norm for me.

What new strategies have you implemented or do you plan to implement in your business?

I’ll probably go back to having a handful of section 8 tenants on my rent roll. That guaranteed government issued money would be clutch right now lol.