Bellevue Businesses Keep Generosity & Innovation Alive During COVID-19

Bellevue Businesses keep generosity & innovation alive during COVID-19

Leaders around the world are working tirelessly to respond to the pandemic and will be for a while. We admire the creative leadership and partnership of many local and global businesses to support food, education, housing and other basic needs within our community. 

Bellevue may look quiet now, but it’s undoubtedly thriving with passionate, innovative, and dedicated problem-solvers. We’re a robust city fueled by ambition. Below are some of the remarkable ways our businesses are reaching out during this crisis. Is your business or employer making a difference during COVID-19? Tell us about it! Send us your story and you may be featured. 
 

Bellevue School District 

The Bellevue School District is offering and developing high quality education resources for students, families and staff. This includes online learning resources, tech support, free meals for students, and social & emotional support. 

Amazon 

Amazon created a $5 million Neighborhood Small Business Relief Fund to provide cash grants to Seattle and Bellevue small businesses that need assistance. Amazon is also supporting teachers worldwide with free resources to help transition to remote learning.
 

Microsoft

Microsoft Corp. collaborated with Swedish Health Services to develop an app that helps monitor and track Swedish’s resources and patients who have the COVID-19 disease. The app, known as COVID-19 Emergency Response App, gives Swedish’s frontline hospital workers an easy way to report near real-time data on mobile devices. It will soon be rolled out to the Providence St. Joseph Health system, which owns Swedish.
 

CenturyLink

​​CenturyLink is implementing the Keep Americans Connected Pledge. This includes waiving late fees and promising not to terminate a residential or small business customer’s service for the next 60 days due to financial circumstances associated with COVID-19. 
 

Vulcan Real Estate

​​Vulcan Real Estate will not collect rents from small business retail and nonprofit tenants in April due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 
 

Eddie Bauer

​​Headquartered in Bellevue, Eddie Bauer is shifting a portion of its production resources to make and donate 20,000 N95 and surgical masks to the Washington State Department of Enterprise Services. 
 

AAA

​​AAA is offering free emergency road service to the men and women on the frontline fighting COVID-19. They are also partnering with several Bellevue/Eastside non-profit organizations to offer technicians to deliver essential supplies to homebound clients.
 

Lane Powell PC

Lane Powell has assembled an interdisciplinary team of attorneys to provide businesses with the tools and resources needed to respond to coronavirus-related impact. Resources are available on their website. 
 

Alaska Airlines

​​Alaska Airlines remains committed to getting protective equipment to the caregivers who need it most. Alaska recently transported materials that will be used to create 210,000 hospital-grade masks for caregivers at Providence’s 51 hospitals across the western United States. 
 

While many of us have the option to stay home and use social distancing, there are several essential workers who do not. Thank you to our brave healthcare workers, including BDA members: Overlake Medical Center, Kaiser Permanente, Seattle Children’s Bellevue Clinic, Synergy Medical, and Virginia Mason Bellevue Clinic. Let’s also not forget the people working to ensure there is little disruption in our food supply, utilities, and security. THANK YOU.

OVERLAKE MEDICAL TEAM POSES FOR A PICTURE. PHOTO CREDIT: HEIDI LAROCHE.

Want to get involved? There are many nonprofits who need support now, and many downtown restaurants that are open for takeout and delivery. Find more ways to engage with our local businesses on our “Stay Sane” blog.