Comcast Business is committed to keeping you and your business connected to the technology and information you need to respond in times of rapid change. Join Comcast Business leaders and industry experts in a series of 30-minute webinars that explore how businesses are rethinking business continuity, branding and cybersecurity strategies, and reconsidering the future of remote learning.
Chairman-CEO Brian Roberts and other top executives at Comcast will donate 100% of their salaries to charities supporting COVID-19 relief efforts as the media giant commits $500 million to support employees with continued pay and benefits, according to a memo Roberts sent to staff on Wednesday.
“Across our businesses, we have committed $500 million to support our employees through continued pay and benefits where operations have been paused or impacted, and we have committed significant resources to support our customers. Additionally, effective today, and for the duration of this situation, our senior leaders, Mike Cavanagh, Dave Watson, Jeff Shell, Jeremy Darroch and I have chosen to donate 100% of our salaries to charities that support COVID-19 relief efforts,” the memo said.
As our world changes by the minute with the new reality that COVID-19 brings, I continue to be amazed and inspired by our people and the human spirit at Comcast, NBCUniversal and Sky. This is obviously an incredibly difficult time for our society. None of us has ever experienced anything like this before, and while it is easy to get mired in the many challenges we are all facing, I think that in uncertain times like these it is incumbent upon us to remain optimistic and look for the good, even if it can be elusive.
One of the bright spots for me has been watching our employees on the frontlines go above and beyond. Our Comcast and Sky engineers, technicians and call center representatives are working around the clock to keep our network running and make sure our customers maintain their vital internet connectivity. Our NBC and Sky news organizations are keeping our world informed – setting up remote studios in basements, living rooms and everything in between. Meanwhile, our wonderful talent and late-night hosts are doing their best to make us smile. I can’t thank these teams enough.
I am also grateful to the leadership across Comcast, NBCUniversal and Sky who have stepped up again and again to do the right thing and take care of our teams. Every employee in every location around the world who is able to work from home is doing so, and where we have people who need to be in an office or in the field, we are doing everything possible to make their environments clean and safe.
Across our businesses, we have committed $500 million to support our employees through continued pay and benefits where operations have been paused or impacted, and we have committed significant resources to support our customers. Additionally, effective today, and for the duration of this situation, our senior leaders, Mike Cavanagh, Dave Watson, Jeff Shell, Jeremy Darroch and I have chosen to donate 100% of our salaries to charities that support COVID-19 relief efforts. We hope in some small way we can make this time easier on our employees, our local communities and our customers.
I don’t know when the worst will be behind us. But I do know that the best way forward will continue to be together. As we navigate the challenges ahead, please take care of yourselves and each other. Reach out to colleagues and friends who need a little extra support. Kindness, compassion and humanity are needed now more than ever, especially for those who have been personally impacted by this virus.
This too shall pass, and we will be on the other side of this crisis. But at this moment I have never been prouder of our company, our people and the collective strength and resilience from all corners of our great organization.
Sonoma State University will provide at least 580 patient beds at its recreation center and in student housing on its Rohnert Park campus to help Sonoma County hospitals handle a projected surge of coronavirus cases in the weeks ahead, according to a new deal reached with the county.
The contract, finalized late Tuesday after two weeks of negotiations, calls for SSU to host people awaiting test results or those who have mild symptoms of coronavirus, which is known to cause the respiratory disease COVID-19.
More than 1,500 Sonoma County residents could require hospitalization for the coronavirus when infections peak in about two months, according to the first models conducted for the county.
The county had 120 confirmed cases Wednesday morning, but officials say early planning is critical.
“We do not want to be in the position of other jurisdictions throughout the country — notably New York — in terms of not having built out capacity,” said Barbie Robinson, the county’s health services director.
Work will begin as soon as Thursday to prepare the SSU campus to serve as a makeshift patient care site.
The deal with SSU, and the medical provider set to oversee the beds, Petaluma Health Center, has not been publicly released, and it was unclear how much the county is paying the college or health center.
The extra bed space represents an 84% increase over countywide hospital capacity, which is currently 689 beds, including 76 intensive care beds, according to the county. Hospitals plan to add at least 227 more rooms, including 64 ICU beds.
“This is a historic, all-hands-on-deck effort to expand our hospital capacity across this state and here at home in Sonoma County. Opening up these over 500 beds will be a huge boost to expanding our local surge capacity. We are truly grateful for the one hundred percent partnership between Sonoma State University and the County of Sonoma—we know there’s much more work ahead,” Sen. Mike McGuireD-Healdsburg, said in a news release Hopkins shared to her Facebook page after 10 p.m. Tuesday.
The Press Democrat has previously reported the county’s exclusive interest in SSU, which was the sole focus of negotiations over the past two weeks. The college has about 9,000 students, many of whom live on campus. But the end of in-person instruction last month largely emptied the campus, with classes not set to resume on campus until the next academic year, which typically begins in August.
The campus Recreation Center gymnasiums will host patients who test positive for COVID-19 but display mild to moderate symptoms, and a parts of Verdot Village, Sauvignon Village and Cooperage — areas near the university police station on the southwest side of the university — will be used for people awaiting test results, according to the release.
University spokesman Paul Gullixson said there are fewer than 100 students remaining on campus, adding that the number will likely dwindle to fewer than 50 once more students take advantage of housing refunds that have been offered. The remaining students will be isolated from the care sites, according to SSU officials.
“By entering into this agreement, Sonoma State is meeting its civic as well as moral obligations to do all that we can to assist in the global effort to slow the spread of this deadly pathogen and to address the needs of our community,” SSU President Judy Sakaki said in a prepared statement.
It’s unclear when SSU will begin hosting patients, but Sonoma County Supervisor James Gore had previously confirmed the county has requested California National Guard help to set up the sites. The county, also, will need to boost staffing levels with Petaluma Health, and is actively seeking more health care workers to help manage the SSU site.
The contract calls for space for 580 beds, but provides flexibility to boost surge capacity beyond 700, Robinson said Tuesday night.
“We’re grateful to Sonoma State for filling such an important role,” Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Susan Gorin said in the release. “Having alternate care sites will be crucial if our hospitals experience a surge in patients. We hope we won’t be in that situation, but it’s imperative we plan for it and have resources ready.”
– This story will be updated.
The Press Democrat was honored Tuesday with six first-place awards from the California News Publishers Association, which praised the newspaper for its coverage of disasters, homelessness, business and education.
Overall, the newspaper received 25 awards in 23 categories in the annual CNPA California Journalism Awards. In most categories, the entries were judged against work produced by daily newspapers in California with 15,000 to 50,000 subscribers. In 10 of the categories including photojournalism, public service, digital journalism, page design, sports game story and special sections it was matched against the largest newspapers in the state.
“These awards are a reflection of the skill and effort that is devoted to our news report every day in every corner of the newsroom. Although our staff is now producing our print and digital news report from their homes as we cover the virus threatening our community, we remain united to deliver essential news,” said Catherine Barnett, executive editor of The Press Democrat.
The awards recognized journalism published in 2019. First-place awards include:
Breaking News Coverage, for staff coverage of the Kincade fire. “This entry is a great example of how bold and dynamic the printed newspaper can be, especially during coverage of a huge news event in the region. I was impressed not only with the depth of coverage, but also the quality of reporting and writing, the exceptional photos and the great play they were given, and the clean design. Each day over the five days the readers were given coverage not only of the fire, but also how the fire was affecting their daily lives,” the judge wrote.
Local Government Coverage, for staff coverage of homeless camps along the Joe Rodota Trail and efforts by local government to respond to the problem.
Business Coverage, for a series of stories by Bill Swindell on insurance issues impacting people rebuilding from the 2017 wildfires.
Youth and Education Coverage, for a story by former staff writer Susan Minichiello on racial and academic divisions in Healdsburg schools. “Clearly well-researched. The story flowed well and thoughtfully tackled the charged topic of racial disparities between charter and public schools,” the judge wrote.
Photo Story/Essay, for photography by Press Democrat staff documenting efforts to defend Windsor from the Kincade fire.
Artistic Photo, for an image by Kent Porter capturing a meteor streaking across the sky as a burning oak tree sent orange sparks into the wind.
The newspaper received six second-place awards:
Breaking News Coverage, for staff coverage of the 2019 floods. “This was another solid example of how the printed newspaper can rise to the magnitude of a big, local story. The depth and quantity of coverage was warranted by the seriousness of the news. Another great use of exceptional photos,” the judge wrote.
Photojournalism, for staff coverage of the 2019 floods and the Kincade fire.
Front Page Layout and Design, for three front pages produced in January, February and October.
Sports Action Photo, for an image by Chris Chung of an Oakland Raiders’ running back leaping into the air for a touchdown.
Sports Feature Photo, for an image by Porter of two softball players giving a treat to a dog, the team’s mascot.
Home Page Layout and Design, for pressdemocrat.com.
The newspaper received four third-place awards:
General Excellence, for two complete and consecutive editions of the newspaper in September.
Public Service, for staff coverage of homeless camps on the Joe Rodota Trail. “Compelling, in-depth coverage of one community wrestling with a problem that is both chronic and worsening,” the judge wrote.
Inside Page Layout, for three poster pages created by staff designer Elissa Torres to celebrate the Warriors’ last season at Oracle Arena.
News Photo, for a photo by Porter showing a firefighter battling flames in the Kincade fire.
The newspaper received seven fourth-place awards. They include: Column Writing, for two columns by sports columnist Kerry Benefield; Sports Game Story, for a Benefield story on Cardinal Newman’s football championship; Sports Feature, for a story by sports columnist Phil Barber advancing the Raiders’ final game in Oakland; Online Coverage of Youth and Education, for a Minichiello story on school security in the wake of a mass shooting at a Florida high school; Feature Photo, for a Beth Schlanker photo of a Christmas tree lot in the rain; Photo Illustration, for a stylized image of a cape buffalo made by John Burgess; and Special Section, for the “Year in Photos” magazine.
The newspaper received fifth-place awards in two categories: In-Depth Reporting, for coverage of the rebuilding underway after the 2017 wildfires; and Business Coverage, for a Julie Johnson story on cannabis tourism.
Two other publications owned by Sonoma Media Investments, the Press Democrat’s parent company, also were recognized.
The Sonoma Index-Tribune took first place for Enterprise Story, Coverage of Youth and Education, Column Writing, Editorial Comment and Artistic Photo. It was a top five finalist for 17 awards, including second place for General Excellence for sonomanews.com.
The Petaluma Argus-Courier won first place for Photo Story/Essay and Editorial Cartoon. It was a top five finalist for 13 awards.
Sonoma County has launched three emergency child care centers for children of critical health care workers, who are bracing to treat a surge of coronavirus patients in coming weeks as the local outbreak is expected to approach its peak.
The effort, a partnership by county officials and local nonprofits, has begun providing free child care for families of 58 children ages 6 months to 13 years old through April 7, when the county’s shelter-in-place order was initially set to expire. The program is equipped to extend through the end of May, if needed, and expand service to a total of 100 children, although parents may have to begin paying a fee after April 7.
The goal is to provide families of health care workers with crucial support as public officials warn that coronavirus cases in the county are expected to mount, putting a strain on local hospitals.
“For those families who don’t have any other options, that is who that emergency child care is for,” said Melanie Dodson, executive director of Community Child Care Council of Sonoma County, known as the 4Cs. “Maybe a grandparent was caring for a child, but because of COVID-19, the grandparent is at high risk and they need another option — or now that their kids aren’t going to school, they need care for the whole day.”
To curb the spread of the virus, the county has ordered that all day care facilities, preschools and elementary schools suspend day-to-day operations. However, child care centers may still serve families of health care workers and other essential services employees as long they follow strict guidelines, including limiting classrooms to no more than 12 children and assigning staff to only one location.
Using a mix of state and local funding, the nonprofit 4Cs has helped set up three centers in partnership with the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Santa Rosa, North Bay Children’s Center and Sonoma County Family YMCA. It’s also working with a handful of small family child care providers for infants and toddlers.
Susan Gilmore, president and CEO of the North Bay Children’s Center, said the group has opened one classroom at Steele Lane Elementary School in Santa Rosa.
“(Health care workers) are very grateful to have this,” she said. “Without child care they can’t work. The lack of child care is crippling for the essential workforce.”
The program in Sonoma County is being funded through a combination of federal, state and local sources, including a state tobacco tax for childhood development. The county has so far allocated $600,000 to the program, according to the nonprofit First 5 Sonoma County.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is expected to reimburse up to 70% of that spending.
If the program is extended past April 7, it could expand to include additional child care providers and support more families.
Angie Dillon-Shore is the executive director of First 5 Sonoma County, which is helping distribute the $100,000 in state tobacco tax money. She said the program, which is offering child care workers a hazard pay premium, could be a much-needed boost for the local child care industry.
“Child care providers are some of the lowest-paid workers in the economy, even though they’re considered essential,” she said. “They’re putting their own health on the line if they have kids of their own.”
Essential health care workers and licensed child care providers are encouraged to contact the Community Child Care Council of Sonoma County at info@sonoma4cs.org or 707-544-3077.
In response to the unprecedented economic, health, and community wellness impacts of the Coronavirus outbreak and related shelter-in-place directives, Redwood Credit Union (RCU) is distributing grants to more than 45 nonprofit organizations across Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Napa, San Francisco, and Sonoma Counties. A list of these grantees is available on RCU’s website at redwoodcu.org/nonprofit-grant-recipients.
The grants will serve the most pressing needs of vulnerable populations in one or more of RCU’s core funding priority areas of:
“We know people are struggling right now because they have lost jobs or had hours reduced, and don’t know how they’ll make ends meet,” said Brett Martinez, president and CEO of Redwood Credit Union. “We hope these grants make a difference in helping our nonprofit partners who are working hard to meet a significant surge of need due to this crisis.”
In addition to the grants, RCU is honoring dozens of sponsorship commitments for fundraising events that have been cancelled due to the need for social distancing. “Nonprofit organizations rely on event proceeds to fund core programs and keep the lights on,” says Matt Martin, senior vice president of community and government relations. “We understand the impact of these cancelled events and want to do our part to make sure these organizations can continue providing vital services to our community.”
RCU is also posting frequently updated information and resources for their members and the community at redwoodcu.org/coronavirus.
About Redwood Credit Union
Founded in 1950, Redwood Credit Union is a full-service financial institution providing personal and business banking to consumers and businesses in the North Bay and San Francisco. RCU offers complete financial services including checking and savings accounts, auto and home loans, credit cards, online and mobile banking, business services, commercial and SBA lending, and more. Wealth management and investment services are available through CUSO Financial Services L.P., and through RCU Services Group (RCU’s wholly owned subsidiary), insurance and auto-purchasing services are also available. RCU has $5 billion in assets and serves more than 355,000 members with full-service branches from San Francisco to Ukiah. For more information, call 1 (800) 479-7928, visit redwoodcu.org, or follow RCU on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for news and updates.
Among the many unprecedented issues the world is facing because of COVID-19, one of the most pressing is how to ensure that hundreds of millions of students can continue to learn over the weeks and months ahead amid widespread elementary and secondary school closures.
Khan Academy ‒ an educational nonprofit with free, interactive learning materials for students and free tools for teachers and parents ‒ is uniquely positioned to play an essential role in supporting the continuation of learning at home. However, the organization needs additional resources to manage the expected strain on infrastructure and the cost burden of adding new programs and services to help tens of millions of students, parents and teachers across the country.
Bank of America has been a longtime partner of Khan Academy’s work and is committed to supporting families and communities in this time of uncertainty. Through its extensive presence in local markets around the U.S., Bank of America will be supporting Khan Academy’s crisis response and helping the nonprofit drive awareness and reach more families.
“I am inspired by how quickly Bank of America saw the opportunity to help the country and encouraged us to think big,” said Khan Academy Founder and CEO Sal Khan. “None of us could foresee a situation quite like the one we’re facing, but it is our collective duty to step up. We need to move quickly because thousands of schools are closed and the closures are likely to accelerate in the weeks ahead.”
With Bank of America’s support, Khan Academy is able to scale their new initiatives to help parents, students and teachers during school closures:
“The sudden school closures create an immediate need for millions of families who are struggling to navigate this crisis,” said Anne Finucane, vice chairman at Bank of America. “Sal Khan and the team at Khan Academy have a bold vision for how to help close the education gap and keep advancing learning through this period of disruption, and they have the track record to get it done.”
Khan Academy offers free interactive practice exercises and instruction that covers many core academic subjects from pre-K through the early years of college, including math, science, arts, and humanities. More than 18 million learners use Khan Academy exercises, quizzes, and instructional videos every month. Khan Academy has been translated into more than 40 languages, and the entire learning system and all instructional materials are available in Spanish.
Khan noted that running highly personalized interactive software for hundreds of millions of students who are not in school is resource intensive for a small nonprofit. “Our team is ready but we can’t do it alone,” he said. “This crisis will accelerate the number of students we need to support and the types of programs we need to put in place. We’re deeply grateful for Bank of America’s support.”
“In times like these, the private sector has a responsibility to help bring this type of innovation to scale quickly,” Finucane added. “At Bank of America, this is how we operate ‒ serving our clients and communities, taking care of our teammates and making progress on society’s biggest issues. This support is only one of the many ways we are working with nonprofit partners in markets around the world to address issues related to this humanitarian crisis.”
###
Reporters May Contact:
Khan Academy, press@khanacademy.org, (650) 429-8154
Bank of America, vanessa.a.cook@bofa.com, (704) 604-9705
About Khan Academy
Khan Academy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with the mission of providing a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere. Khan Academy’s platform is free for students, teachers and parents, and includes thousands of interactive exercises, videos and articles that cover a range of K–12 subjects, as well as the early years of college. We also offer Khan Academy Kids, an award-winning free app for children age two to seven. Our learning system is mastery based, which allows students to master key concepts at a pace that’s right for them before moving on to more challenging content. More than 18 million learners use Khan Academy every month in 190 countries and more than 40 languages. As a nonprofit, Khan Academy relies on donations from foundations, corporations and individuals around the world, as well as earned revenue. For more information, visit khanacademy.org, or join us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
About Bank of America
At Bank of America, we’re guided by a common purpose to help make financial lives better, through the power of every connection. We’re delivering on this through responsible growth with a focus on our environmental, social and governance (ESG) leadership. ESG is embedded across our eight lines of business and reflects how we help fuel the global economy, build trust and credibility, and represent a company that people want to work for, invest in and do business with. It’s demonstrated in the inclusive and supportive workplace we create for our employees, the responsible products and services we offer our clients, and the impact we make around the world in helping local economies thrive. An important part of this work is forming strong partnerships with nonprofits and advocacy groups, such as community, consumer and environmental organizations, to bring together our collective networks and expertise to achieve greater impact. Learn more at about.bankofamerica.com, and connect with us on Twitter (@BofA_News).
Bank of America today announced additional support for its 66 million Consumer and Small Business clients in response to the unprecedented challenges of the coronavirus. The company is offering assistance to clients through its Client Assistance Program and continuing to provide access to the important financial services on which these clients rely.
“Our clients rely on us every day and for every aspect of their financial lives,” said Dean Athanasia, president of Consumer and Small Business at Bank of America. “We’re going to continue to provide convenient access to the important services they count on, and the additional assistance and support they need during this difficult period. Our priorities are taking care of our team and each other, and continuing to fulfill our fundamental role serving our clients.”
Working on a case-by-case basis, as we’ve done in many other situations including the government shutdown and natural disasters, Bank of America’s additional assistance for clients impacted by the coronavirus includes:
All Bank of America teammates who work with clients are trained to identify and assist impacted clients and provide the right support to address their unique needs. Clients facing financial hardships related to the coronavirus are encouraged to visit the company’s Client Resources website and contact the client services team for assistance.
Bank of America understands the critical role financial services plays in the daily lives of individuals and small businesses, and is dedicated to maintaining reliable access to all of our capabilities, whether clients choose to manage their finances digitally, over the phone or in person.
Bank of America
Bank of America is one of the world’s leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 66 million consumer and small business clients with approximately 4,300 retail financial centers, including approximately 2,800 lending centers, 2,600 financial centers with a Consumer Investment Financial Solutions Advisor and 2,000 business centers; approximately 16,800 ATMs; and award-winning digital banking with approximately 38 million active users, including approximately 29 million mobile users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 3 million small business owners through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations across the United States, its territories and approximately 35 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
Bank of America today announced additional support for its 66 million Consumer and Small Business clients in response to the unprecedented challenges of the coronavirus. The company is offering assistance to clients through its Client Assistance Program and continuing to provide access to the important financial services on which these clients rely.
“Our clients rely on us every day and for every aspect of their financial lives,” said Dean Athanasia, president of Consumer and Small Business at Bank of America. “We’re going to continue to provide convenient access to the important services they count on, and the additional assistance and support they need during this difficult period. Our priorities are taking care of our team and each other, and continuing to fulfill our fundamental role serving our clients.”
Working on a case-by-case basis, as we’ve done in many other situations including the government shutdown and natural disasters, Bank of America’s additional assistance for clients impacted by the coronavirus includes:
All Bank of America teammates who work with clients are trained to identify and assist impacted clients and provide the right support to address their unique needs. Clients facing financial hardships related to the coronavirus are encouraged to visit the company’s Client Resources website and contact the client services team for assistance.
Bank of America understands the critical role financial services plays in the daily lives of individuals and small businesses, and is dedicated to maintaining reliable access to all of our capabilities, whether clients choose to manage their finances digitally, over the phone or in person.
Bank of America
Bank of America is one of the world’s leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 66 million consumer and small business clients with approximately 4,300 retail financial centers, including approximately 2,800 lending centers, 2,600 financial centers with a Consumer Investment Financial Solutions Advisor and 2,000 business centers; approximately 16,800 ATMs; and award-winning digital banking with approximately 38 million active users, including approximately 29 million mobile users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 3 million small business owners through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations across the United States, its territories and approximately 35 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
For more Bank of America news, including dividend announcements and other important information, visit the Bank of America newsroom and register for news email alerts.
Over thirty years ago, business leaders founded the North Bay Leadership Council on a simple premise: We can accomplish more by working together. Today, the Council includes 54 leading employers in the North Bay. Our members represent a wide variety of businesses, non-profits and educational institutions, with a workforce in excess of 25,000. As business and civic leaders, our goal is to promote sound public policy, innovation and sustainability to make our region a better place to live and work. For more information: Call 707.283.0028 / E-mail info@northbayleadership.org