SAN ANTONIO – The city provided bundles of face coverings, hand sanitizer and thermometers to at least 6,400 businesses and nonprofits in a drive-thru event at the Alamodome on Wednesday.
The $1.9 million worth of personal protective equipment (PPE) and safety supplies were bought with CARES Act funds and distributed to businesses and nonprofits with 25 or fewer employees. About 5,200 organizations registered ahead of time, and the city allowed others to register at the site.
Even as more businesses are allowed to reopen, the supplies that can help them do so safely can be hard to find en masse, said Mayor Ron Nirenberg.
Drone Video: Greater. SAfer. Together. Supply Pickup Day
“It’s a commitment to the safety of their employees, to the general public, and, of course, to their customers,” Nirenberg said.
Though each bundle contained only two gallons of hand sanitizer, six face coverings and a thermometer, those who came through said it still helps.
“Whatever you get is a blessing,” said Alma Johnson, the CEO of the San Antonio Child Care Resource Center, as she picked up her bundle. "So if you are able to buy a small supply and then add it to what you receive today, then it’s going to help tremendously
Nirenberg called the bundles a “starter kit.”
“So the first thing is to really get things started. Really, also to demonstrate best practices. What kinds of materials are going to be needed going forward?” he said. “And certainly as the time goes on and this recovery in reopening goes forward, we’ll be looking for ways to connect businesses with the resources that they need on an ongoing basis.”
Businesses and organizations sign ‘Greater. SAfer. Together.’ pledge
As part of the registration process for the bundles, each group took the “Greater. SAfer. Together.” pledge, which includes seven steps they promise to take to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Posters with the pledge were included in each kit.