Vidya Sethuraman
India Post News Service
During the epidemic, many small business owners throughout the US were forced to close their doors due to lack of funds and materials. EMS briefing on March 16th introduced the “Safer at Work” program. The experts invited to speak at the briefing were Kelly LoBianco, executive director of Workforce Development Aging and Community Services (WDACS) in Los Angeles, Jay Tsao and Tova Mac, co-founders of PPE Unite. Three small business owners who spoke at the briefing were Miguel Alfaro, owner of Mexican restaurant, Sandra Vasqez, manager of Legacy Tree Care, and Ely Valdivia, owner of “Earthy Corazon”.
Safer at Work Los Angeles works with the business community to provide the information and resources needed to work safely. The Safer at Work program is designed to invest in and build shared responsibility between businesses, employees, consumers and the communities they serve to keep each other as safe as possible while restoring our local, thriving economy. In partnership with PPE Unite, LA County businesses are eligible to receive free PPE supplies including masks, Rapid COVID-19 test kits, N95s masks and hand sanitizer in accordance with health code guidelines. The organization typically provides a month’s supply of personal protective equipment per employee.
“Our smallest businesses are the life source of our communities and also have been hardest hit by the pandemic and have a harder time accessing some of the information and resources they need to stay afloat,” said Kelly LoBianco, Executive Director, LA County Workforce Development Aging and Community Services (WDACS).
The goal is to build economic recovery, but as the masks go off for customers, we want to ensure that the workers stay safe.”, said Tova Mac, Co-Founders, PPE Unite. They have provided 50 million-plus units of PPE, protecting more than a million workers. Those small business clients, Tsao said, are 61% minority-owned, 40% women-owned and 65% are micro-businesses — having fewer than 10 employees. She pegged the value of the PPE distributed so far at $100 million.
Beneficiaries of these programs were called on the briefing. This program has helped many LA businesses tremendously,” said restaurateur Miguel Alfaro, who had the misfortune to open Mi Lindo Guanajuato just two weeks before COVID shutdown orders took effect.
Businesses can also visit SaferatWork.la for posters and social media assets to help communicate LA County current safety precautions with their staff and the public. LA Businesses can request PPE Unite’s help through ppeunite.org, or by calling (833) 773-8648.
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