Howdunnit

As restaurants across the nation have been forced to close their doors during the coronavirus pandemic, some are turning to creative means to help account for the loss of revenue. In Philadelphia, restaurants have created a virtual tip jar to encourage patrons to "donate a tip" to a person or business while in San Francisco a restaurant owner has created a Facebook group that helps connect out of work servers with childcare jobs.

As social distancing becomes increasingly important as cities and states work to control the coronavirus outbreak, people in New York are finding creative ways to communicate in order to help one another. In New York City, community members are utilizing a website where volunteers are matched with their vulnerable neighbors' requests for errands, while in Brooklyn, community organizers are using a spreadsheet to connect and find support.

In such a divided country, many groups from lawmakers to advocacy groups are finding rare bipartisan cooperation around the issue of criminal justice reform. Two congressional representatives, one Republican and one Democrat, have found common ground, as well as the Justice Action Network, which forms bipartisan coalitions, one of which was instrumental in passing the First Step Act.

Kate Sofis created SFMade in San Francisco to find creative ways to support local manufacturing. The organization has helped push the local government to create more inclusionary industrial zoning, which incentivizes developers to build manufacturing space along with traditional office space. Funded by grants and a New Markets Tax Credit, SFMade has opened 150 Hooper, a manufacturing hub. Its challenge now is how to maintain a sustainable funding source in the pricey city.

Hands-on experience can improve learning outcomes. By using the Geometry in Construction curriculum, developed by Contextual Learning Concepts, schools across the US are not only teaching kids geometry, they are also helping them gain valuable vocational skills. Several of the schools have even paired the program with service work by partnering with Habitat for Humanity.

Real estate cooperatives are able to raise capital from their members, ensuring re-investment in the communitie they serve. In Oakland, California, the East Bay Permanent Real Estate Cooperative (EB PREC) finances real estate acquisitions through California’s cooperative ownership model. EB PREC also works with partners from the Sustainable Economies Law Center and the People of Color Housing Network, which provide additional resources and expertise.

For individuals who are homeless or otherwise disadvantaged, art can be more than therapeutic—it can be lucrative. ArtLifting, a public benefit corporation started in Boston, MA, specializes in helping homeless and disabled artists sell their art. Business including Staples and Microsoft have bought art for their offices. ArtLifting splits the profits with artists and also funds art programs.