Welcome to the New Year! Like we did in 2020, sf.citi is committed to providing you ongoing updates about the latest community news and resources from the San Francisco tech industry and beyond.
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Before diving into our weekly Community Update, we must acknowledge the violent display of hatred that took place at our nation’s Capitol last week. The events of January 6, 2021 run counter to sf.citi’s mission of collaboration and betray basic tenets of our democracy. sf.citi Executive Director Jennifer Stojkovic articulated more of our thoughts, which you can read here.
sf.citi has also partnered with fellow tech advocacy organizations Tech:NYC, sea.citi, Austin Tech Alliance, LA Tech, and Tech United:NJ to reaffirm our shared commitment to the democratic process, which is critical to our work and the success of our country. We encourage as many tech employees as possible to join us in condemning the insurrection at the Capitol by signing a statement in support of democracy.
Sign Your Name in Support of Democracy
- 2,692,542 confirmed cases in California
- 30,003 confirmed deaths in California
- 305,645 confirmed cases in the Bay Area
*As of 9:00am PT on 1/11
COVID-19 Updates from the SF Tech Community
UPDATES FROM THE TECH COMMUNITY
- Comcast has partnered with the City of San Francisco to provide WiFi at more than 30 of the City’s Community Hubs, which provide in-person support for distance learning and out-of-school activities for San Francisco’s high-needs children.
- Lyft has partnered with Anthem, JPMorgan Chase, and United Way to launch a COVID-19 vaccine access campaign. As the COVID-19 vaccine becomes available, Lyft aims to provide 60 million rides to and from vaccination sites for low-income, uninsured, and at-risk communities.
- Okta announced that it will offer over $1 million in grants to nonprofit technology innovators as part of its Okta for Good Nonprofit Technology Initiative. This first round of funding will support nonprofits in a few key areas, including digital transformation, collaboration, and security. Eligible nonprofits are invited to apply by January 22, 2021.
- Following the siege on the Capitol, Twitter permanently suspended President Donald Trump’s account “due to the risk of further incitement of violence.” Facebook similarly banned the President from posting on its platforms “indefinitely and for at least the next two weeks until the peaceful transition of power is complete.”
UPDATES FROM THE CITY OF SAN FRANCISCO
- On January 8, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously elected District 10 Supervisor Shamann Walton as the new president of the Board. President-elect Walton will serve out the remaining two years of his term as Board president and is the first Black man to hold this office.
- On January 8, Mayor Breed announced two new initiatives to combat and prevent human trafficking in San Francisco. Starting this month, the Department of Public Health will provide their environmental health inspectors with anti-human trafficking training so that they can recognize and report “red flags” of potential human trafficking. The San Francisco International Airport (SFO), meanwhile, is implementing a campaign to respond to instances of trafficking that may occur by airplane. This includes fitting over 1,000 bathroom stalls in both the domestic and international terminals with multi-lingual signs that contain the airport’s human trafficking hotline.
- On January 6, the Board of Supervisors approved Manny Yekutiel and Fiona Hinze to serve on the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) Board of Directors. Yekutiel and Hinze will fill the remaining two vacant seats on the seven-member SFMTA Board of Directors.
- On January 5, Mayor Breed announced that her legislation to provide $5 million in fee and tax waivers and deferrals for San Francisco businesses passed at the Board of Supervisors. The legislation offers businesses additional time to pay certain business taxes and fees, while waiving the fees of some small businesses that have been particularly hard hit by COVID-19, including entertainment venues and restaurants.
To stay up to date with all City of San Francisco updates, follow the Mayor’s updates here.
UPDATES FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
- On January 8, Governor Newsom proposed a $227.2 billion state budget for the fiscal year 2021-2022. It prioritizes funding for California families and businesses most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccine distribution in all 58 Californian counties, and California’s equitable, long-term economic recovery. Part of the Governor’s budget proposal includes the Golden State Stimulus, which would provide $600 rapid cash support (on top of federal stimulus dollars) to roughly four million low-income Californians. He also proposed allocating $4.5 billion for his Equitable Recovery for California’s Businesses and Jobs plan, which includes $1 billion in additional funding and grants for Californian small businesses.
- On January 6, Governor Newsom issued a statement on the events of January 6, 2021 at the Capitol in Washington, D.C. “What we are witnessing in our nation’s Capitol building is reprehensible and an outright assault to our democracy and Democratic institutions,” he wrote.
To stay up to date with all State of California updates, follow the California Department of Health’s updates here.
SUPPORT OUR SAN FRANCISCO COMMUNITY
Every week, sf.citi will feature a different San Francisco nonprofit and share ways you can support its mission and work.
- HelpKitchen is a San Francisco-based nonprofit that connects food-insecure individuals with partner restaurants for free meals. Co-founded during the pandemic by Twilio CEO Jeff Lawson, HelpKitchen responds to the significant rise in food insecurity while helping local restaurants stay in business. Restaurants are paid for every meal they provide. HelpKitchen currently operates in San Francisco, Detroit, Tacoma, and Aurora, and is quickly expanding to other cities. Show your support for food-insecure individuals and local restaurants alike by donating to HelpKitchen!
Would you like to be featured in a future sf.citi community update? Tell us about your work in San Francisco by emailing jacqueline@sfciti.org.
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