Alaska Airlines Unites with Local Businesses for Response Fund

Alaska Airlines is joining other businesses headquartered in the Seattle region – including Amazon, Costco, Microsoft and Starbucks – to support the Seattle Foundation’s COVID-19 Response Fund. The joint effort by philanthropic, government and corporate partners has raised more than $12 million since it was announced March 9, with donations from businesses and individuals continuing to come in.

Donations will be used to support organizations with deeproots in affected communities, and funds are expected to start reachingfront-line community groups within the next few weeks.

“Our region has faced many challenges over the years, andthis coronavirus is no exception,” said Brad Tilden, Alaska Airlines chairmanand CEO. “All 23,000 of us at Alaska are focused on keeping employees andguests safe every day, and we are optimistic about our future. We’re proud tojoin the city, county and partners across our region to support this fund forthose with the greatest needs.”

The grants will focus on needs in these hard-hit communitieswithin the Puget Sound region, including: residents without health insuranceand/or access to sick days, residents with limited English language proficiency,healthcare and gig economy workers, communities of color, among others.

The following immediate needs in the community will be thefirst priority for the grants: the economic impact of reduced and lost work dueto the outbreak, needs of economically vulnerable populations caused byclosures and cancellations related to COVID-19, increased demand for medicalinformation and support, and fear and confusion about the outbreak among theregion’s most vulnerable residents.

“COVID-19 represents a battle on two fronts – a publichealth crisis and a threat to the economic stability of so many in our region,”said Seattle Foundation President and CEO Tony Mestres. “While we are alldealing with the effects of this outbreak, some of our neighbors facedisproportionate challenges around time off work, the cost of care, andreliable access to information. Through this Fund and thanks to the generoussupport of our partners, we want to make sure everyone in our community has thesupport they need, regardless of race, place, income, or identity.”

To inquire about the grants or be considered, email the Seattle Foundation at covid19@seattlefoundation.org. Funds will be awarded to community organizations, and individuals in need of support should inquire about help from organizations working within their communities.