The Fair Oaks Community Center is providing essential human services, including food distribution, homeless support services, safety net information, rental assistance and referral services to the entire County community. The Community Center is one of the County’s CORE human services agencies.
Rental assistance funds are available for all Redwood City residents who meet certain criteria. Residents can reach the community hotline at the Fair Oaks Community Center by dialing (650) 780-7500.
211 United Way Bay Area connects Bay Area residents to current health & human service information.
Dial 2-1-1 to get connected to a specialist for personalized assistance. Free, Confidential, 24/7, and available in multiple languages.
(The following is a message from the San Mateo County Health Officer.)
As I write this, I am both immensely grateful and exceedingly disappointed. We are in a grave crisis. I believe the virus is growing at an exponential rate in our county. Unless everyone does their part and follows the County’s Shelter-in-Place order and the Governor’s Safer at Home order, we will be facing an Italy-type catastrophe very soon. These orders are not recommendations, they are rules to be followed. My disappointment stems from the fact that many people just aren’t taking this seriously and going about their business as if nothing has changed. Our world has profoundly changed in an instant. It is now up to you all, the community, to decide what you want your future to be. If you decide you want to do your own thing and follow your own rules, you disrespect us all. You spit in our face, and you will contribute to the death toll that will follow. For those of you who say: “nobody tells me what to do,” now is a time to make an exception. You can go back to being ornery in the future.
Keeping humans apart from other humans is the only tool we currently have to slow this virus’ spread. This is a particularly fraught dilemma, as humans are social animals and they need each other, but we need to make every possible effort to avoid contact with each other.
For families in different households, do not mix your households at this time. As hard as this is, do not gather in any way outside of immediate households. As for outdoor exercise, people certainly need to get out, but do this in your own immediate neighborhoods. Do not drive except to provide or obtain an essential service. Do not go into other neighborhoods for recreation. This increases the risk of virus spread. Always maintain social distance. Wash your hands frequently and follow all the other recommended actions.
I’m grateful for the enormous amount of activity and the enormous amount of resources, from both the public and private sectors, going into protecting us and going into our healthcare system surge capacity. I am grateful that many people are taking this seriously and are doing everything they can to slow the spread of this virus. You are heroes for doing this.
I am deeply grateful for and everyone should thank God for our first responders and our front line medical and public health personnel. They are taking on personal risk to take care of you. They are heroes for doing this.
As for the supply shock, please lower your expectations of what you can get and when you can get it. Be grateful for anything that you can get. The capacity to deliver instant gratification is over.
As for the demand shock, look around and determine which small businesses you’d like to see still in your community when this is over. Then patronize them. Even if they are not open and you can’t get goods and services from them, you may want to consider paying them for services you might have received from them or they will be gone.
VOLUNTEER. Your community needs you now. There are many, many things that need to be done. This is the link to the survey for folks that want to volunteer: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WSXH6PZ
This is the email for non-profits and organizations needing volunteers: .
DONATE. There are critical shortages of supplies, especially some medical supplies. Please donate personal protective equipment (PPE). The email to donate PPE is . There will be an SMCStrong fund set up shortly to support individuals, small businesses and non-profits in the County. Donate to this if you can, or to your charity of choice.
Now more than ever, what I need for you to do is fully follow my recommendations’ advice and orders, unite as a community, come to each other’s aid, and let kindness, compassion, and gratitude guide your actions.
Scott Morrow, MD, MPH
San Mateo County Health Officer
March 23, 2020
(The following is a message from the Belmont-Redwood Shores School District.)
Hello Belmont-Redwood Shores Community,
What a week that was…. I want to begin with the recognition that this novel coronavirus phenomenon and the subsequent governmental orders have created an unprecedented challenge for all of us. First and foremost, I ask that you follow the Shelter in Place guidelines for the health benefit of the greater community.
Thank you for your understanding and patience as our teachers and support staff have transitioned to At-Home Learning. We have made it through Week One. Looking ahead, please know that we are committed to improving the At-Home Learning program week by week.
This message update will cover:
State Orders and County Orders
Last week’s state-level shelter in place order is consistent with the County order that BRSSD is currently following. We expect County and State guidance to become more aligned over time, and I expect the existing orders to extend beyond April 7. I do not have inside information on this. However, as educators, we are planning for our school facilities to be closed to students for the foreseeable future.
Looking Beyond Spring Break
As it becomes clear that the dismissal of students from school likely will be longer than the two weeks initially ordered by the County Health Officer, our staff is working on what the next phase of our At-Home Learning program will look like. If the dismissal of students is extended, we will aim to provide more of a simulated school experience for our students beginning April 6, after Spring Break. Our goal is to provide all BRSSD students with routine, social connections, a sense of normalcy, and most importantly, an education.
At-Home Learning
Our At-Home Learning resources for families have been shared via email to date (listed here). This is impractical for the long-term. We are developing a dedicated BRSSD webpage with organized and consolidated resources to support At-Home Learning. We expect to have that established by the end of the week, March 27.
After Spring Break, as we shift to a long-term approach to At-Home Learning, more students may need to use computers with greater frequency to access the educational program. Later this week, we will send out another tech survey to families to lend out devices as needed. Similarly, we will continue to share resources for internet access, like Comcast’s program.
Last week, my direction to teachers was to continue the educational program and keep students busy. For some families, this worked well, but for others it was quite stressful. If your student is falling behind or feeling negatively stressed or overwhelmed, you have permission to excuse your student from assignments. Student wellness comes first. Please communicate this directly with your teacher. If your teacher has not indicated the relative prioritization of activities/lessons, reach out to them for guidance regarding how best to adjust the workload.
Counseling Support
If you or your child are in need of social-emotional support during the school closure, our amazing network of BRSSD counselors are here to assist you or your child. Please use this form to request support for either you or your child. All support will be conducted remotely: over the phone, via email or virtually (Google Hangout or Zoom). We will respond to your request Monday through Friday, within 24 hours.
In addition, you can also receive support from One Life Counseling through their school-based support hotline at 650-394-5224. Therapists will be on-call weekdays from 9 am to 5 pm. One Life counselors will be available virtually for those in need of emotional support or ideas for social-emotional learning projects at home.
Thursday’s Board Meeting
The BRSSD Board of Trustees has its next meeting scheduled for this Thursday at 6:15pm. We plan to conduct it remotely with access to the public and the opportunity for public comment. Details for accessing the meeting will be made available on our homepage, brssd.org.
Mr. M’s Problem of the Week
Need a break from reality to work on a puzzle? Have a student that needs a challenge? Here’s a fun 3-dimensional tic-tac-toe problem (designed for ages 11 and up). Note that “noughts and crosses” is what they call tic-tac-toe in the United Kingdom. Different solution strategies and an extension to the problem can be found here.
We appreciate your partnership in your child’s education, now more than ever. Do not hesitate to write to me with feedback and questions.
Sincerely,
Michael Milliken
Superintendent
This video was provided by the City of Redwood City from Mayor Diane Howard.
The City of Redwood City and the Redwood Shores Community Association have been in talks over concerns for our senior citizens who are particularly vulnerable in this Shelter in Place period.
The Redwood City Veterans Memorial Senior Center will be offering to-go lunches from 11AM to 1PM, Monday through Friday, for those aged 60 and over. Lunches can be picked up at a curbside spot at the Redwood City Veterans Memorial Senior Center (1455 Madison Avenue in Redwood City) or a delivery can be arranged.
Please call 650-780-7259 for more information or to enroll in lunch service. You must call by 9PM the previous day in order to enroll that day, and you must call back to enroll every day you need service.
More details about the program are available on the phone line’s recorded message, which will then lead to an answering machine. Please leave the following information on the answering machine recording:
(The following is a message from the Belmont-Redwood Shores School District.)
Hello Belmont-Redwood Shores Community,
In an effort to keep you up to date and support the At-Home Learning effort, this email will cover:
(The following is a message from San Mateo County’s Alert System)
The Health Officer of San Mateo County has issued a shelter-in-place order, effective 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, March 17, 2020, to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. For more information on the order, including exceptions for essential activities and FAQs, please visit www.smcgov.org
El Oficial de Salud del Condado de San Mateo emitió una orden de refugio en el lugar, vigente a las 12:01 a.m. del martes 17 de marzo de 2020, para ayudar a prevenir la propagación de COVID-19. Para obtener más información sobre el pedido, incluidas las excepciones para actividades esenciales y preguntas frecuentes, visite www.smcgov.org
The message was sent from the San Mateo County Alert System (SMC Alert). To subscribe to the system, change your profile, add/delete contact numbers or email addresses, visit our website at www.smcalert.info or email at
The Formal Order from the Health Officer can be found here:
https://www.smcgov.org/press-release/march-16-2020-health-officer%E2%80%99s-shelter-place-order-formal-order
(The following is a message from the Redwood City Improvement Association.)
We are living through a time in history that will be taught to kids for years to come. As we navigate day by day, we hope you find comfort that we are all in this together. We can utilize this time of sheltering in place to reflect and support those who need it most.
To help support the hard-working people in the area, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has declared San Mateo County eligible for Disaster Loan Assistance to help alleviate economic injury caused by the Coronavirus (COVID-19). Continue reading
(The following is being shared by RSCA as a public service, as it pertains to our local Nob Hill supermarket. Although RSCA cannot share all messages regarding COVID-19 developments — we recommend the dedicated Redwood City Coronavirus Public Safety Site for local updates — we will try to share info most pertinent to Redwood Shores residents. Contact the RSCA Webmaster if you have questions or share suggestions.)
To our customers,
On behalf of Raley’s, I want to express our deepest sympathy for those afflicted by the coronavirus.
For 85 years, Raley’s has been there for the communities we serve, in good times and bad. I assure you that you can count on us during this time of crisis.
I believe the most important thing that all of us can do is to trust those who are leading us through this crisis and to remain calm and civic minded. Please know, the food system in the United States is the most sophisticated and robust in the world and amid “rational” demand it will keep up. If we all normalize our buying behavior and resist the unnecessary need to stockpile, everyone can have what they need.
So that you have confidence, here are just some of the things Raley’s has implemented or that will be put in motion. Many of these steps were implemented weeks ago. Continue reading
