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Share Your Signs of Hope During these challenging times, San Mateo shows signs of hope everywhere. With so many generous community markings around town, we felt inspired to launch our 'Signs of Hope' Campaign. We're collecting and posting pictures that represent the kind, caring, and supportive community that surrounds us here in our City. Thank you notes, window paintings, neighbors helping neighbors – images that inspire us to remain positive and remind us we’re all connected, even when we’re apart.
Look around you and send us a picture of anything that symbolizes the resilience of our community and amazing City. Please email your picture(s) to: socialmedia@cityofsanmateo.org. Then, follow our Facebook page as we share them back with you! Thank you for participating and remember - we're all in this together.
Financial Support for Residents & BusinessesWe’re here to help our residents and business cope with the impacts of COVID-19 and remain in our community. The City Council allocated $400,000 toward the San Mateo County Strong Small Business Grant and we’re working with the nonprofit Samaritan House to provide emergency rental assistance to low-income San Mateo residents. Those who need assistance can contact Samaritan House, which provides a range of core services in our community including food, shelter, medical care and emergency financial assistance. The City is in the process of allocating additional funds that Samaritan House will use to provide money for San Mateo residents who need help paying rent.
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Small Business Grant Program Opens Monday, April 27thWith the City’s contribution, the San Mateo County Strong Small Business Grant program will provide $530,000 to help small businesses in the City of San Mateo impacted by COVID-19. The goal of the grant is to provide relief for operating expenses, including salaries, rent, and utilities. The maximum grant award is $10,000.
Funding is limited and businesses are encouraged to have their documents ready when the application opens at noon on Monday, April 27. Review San Mateo County Strong webpage for more information and sign up for business-related emails from the City by subscribing to the “Business Assistance During COVID-19" email list.
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Safe Streets San MateoWhile the County’s Shelter in Place Order requires us to minimize the amount we leave our homes, outdoor recreation is still allowed so long as social distancing protocols are followed. You can walk, bike and hike within five miles of your home, just remember to stay six feet away from others.
To help residents remain safe while in our neighborhoods, we’ve launched the Safe Streets San Mateo Initiative. We’ll be looking at restricting a handful of street segments to local traffic only, and encourage everyone to remember these important safety tips: - SLOW DOWN Drivers, remember that everyone is working hard to keep their six feet of physical distance, which means pedestrians, joggers and cyclists might be using the roadway. Keeping your speed low on our city streets gives you an opportunity to react quickly if you need to.
- PAY ATTENTION Pedestrians, joggers and cyclists, you must pay attention if you’re using roadways to keep your distance from others. Drivers aren’t used to seeing you on the roadway, so make sure you can be seen if you step off the sidewalk. Continue to use crosswalks and walk signals appropriately.
- PARK SMART When parking in a neighborhood, don’t block the sidewalk. Make sure you have allowed enough space for strollers and wheelchairs to safely pass your parked car. Every effort you make to be safe on our streets helps the entire community.
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National Volunteer WeekIt is National Volunteer Week (April 19– 25) and what better way to celebrate than by thanking all the wonderful volunteers who serve our community! Our volunteers and the services they provide truly reflect the heart and spirit of our great city. Many of the programs and services we offer wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for our volunteers who devote so much time, energy, and passion into each of their service roles.
From serving preparing healthy meals for seniors and tutoring kids how to read, to serving on a board or commission, we thank every one of our community volunteers! And for those who might not be registered as an “official volunteer” but are generously donating time or supplies to neighbors or community organizations during this pandemic, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts!
Although many of the City's ongoing volunteer opportunities are temporarily postponed, there are other opportunities available through the County. If you are healthy and able, please consider volunteering to help those in need during the COVID-19 emergency by signing up on the San Mateo County volunteer webpage.
We are truly so thankful for how our entire community comes together, in good times and challenging times. The last few weeks have demonstrated just how strong we are together. We can't wait to see you and thank you in person but for now, here is a virtual high five!
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Virtual Recreation - New Programs, Activities & ClassesAlthough City parks and libraries remain closed during the shelter in place order, many of our programs and services can be accessed online! We’ve got classes and activities for all ages and are even starting to host online programs with some of your favorite instructors through our Virtual ! - Classes from Parks and Rec: Some classes begin Monday, April 27. Sign your child up for Science Experiments, Computer Coding, Art, Chess, or Jewelry Making!
- Preschool Activities: Enjoy story time, music time, art, and science time on the Virtual Preschool page. Our preschool teachers have hand-picked activities for you to follow Monday through Fridays.
- Virtual Storytime with City Librarians: Join us for stories, rhymes, craft instruction, and more. New content posted daily at 11 a.m.
- Virtual Programs for Teens: The Library hosts a variety of programs for 8th - 12th graders including Teen Virtual Board Games, Teen Book Group, and Teen Task Force.
- Policy Activities League: The San Mateo Police Activities League is offering virtual classes to continue their mission of keeping the community engaged and active.
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We Stand United Against HateThe City of San Mateo has always celebrated the rich diversity among our residents and businesses. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, many Asian American and immigrant communities fear being targets of xenophobia, anti-immigrant sentiments and racism. At the April 20 City Council meeting, City Council adopted a resolution committing to support our community and denouncing any harmful or discriminatory acts – especially during this global health crisis. Last year we started the “San Mateo Stands United Against Hate” campaign and invited all of our residents to participate in order to increase awareness and unify our City as one. If you are interested in spreading positivity and standing united against hate, please consider printing the San Mateo United Against Hate poster and posting it on your window at your home and/or business. Now, more than ever, is the time to stand united as a community to lessen the harmful impacts of COVID-19.
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Make a Pledge, Support Our EarthIn celebration of Earth Day on April 22, we challenge all San Mateo residents to consider making one pledge for the earth. Even the smallest steps in our daily lives can have a lasting impact on our planet. Consider doing a personal plastic audit and see what changes you can make in your purchasing. Or how about reading your favorite book instead of streaming online. You could try a plant-based diet for one day a week. Or try fixing or creating things instead of buying new products. You can also do your part by assessing your own carbon footprint, or considering your family’s pledge to the earth.
We have committed to our earth. On April 6, 2020, our City Council voted unanimously to adopt the 2020 Climate Action Plan. It’s an update of the City’s 2015 Climate Action Plan previously adopted. The update establishes greenhouse gas emission reduction targets for the community and contains strategies to meet these goals. This puts us on track to meet, and exceed, the 2020 target for reduced emissions of 18% below 2005 levels.
2020 marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day! Do you have fond memories of prior Earth Days? As we look forward to more time on this planet, let's think about what we can do today to prepare for tomorrow. The City of San Mateo has a strong sustainability program, and we know our community prides itself on doing what we can to support the environment. Learn more about our Sustainability Program and local rebates.
Looking for more ideas of what you can do at home? Get ideas for the pledges you can make starting today
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Cover Your Face & Stay SafeResidents are now required to wear cloth face coverings when you go out of the house and are in close proximity to others. This includes while at essential businesses or waiting in line, in medical facilities, and on transit or rideshares. While recommended, it is not currently required to wear a face covering when recreating outdoors. However, a mask should be accessible in the event social distancing becomes impossible. Gatherings are still prohibited. Review this FAQ page for more info and be patient as we all work to adapt and learn.
We’ll be proactively reaching out to the community to educate people of these new rules. At this time, enforcement will be focused on violations at essential businesses. Businesses are also required to refuse service to anyone who does not comply. Unless you feel it’s truly necessary, please refrain from calling police on one another. If you feel the need to report a violation of the order at a business, please contact our code enforcement hotline at (650) 522-7011.
Face Covering Tips: Make sure to properly cover your mouth and nose, and avoid touching your face. Remember – please reserve N95 masks for first responders and medical professionals.
It’s easy to make your own face covering at home, check out these instructions & at-home tips, and a video tutorial from the Centers for Disease Control.
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County COVID Data & Testing The County Health System is publishing information about the total number of detected cases of COVID-19 in San Mateo County through an online data dashboard. The data is broken out by demographic information including gender and age range. As of April 24, there are 989 COVID-19 cases with 41 documented deaths in San Mateo County.
How to Get TestedTesting for the virus is critical to determining its impact in our community. While testing kits are still limited, our Countywide capacity to test more people is increasing. Just like testing for other infectious diseases, such as the flu, the first step is a full evaluation by your health care provider.
Project Baseline
If you are unable to access a test through your doctor, San Mateo County residents can complete an online screening to see if you qualify to be tested by Verily’s Project Baseline. Based on the responses and testing appointment availability, you will learn whether you qualify for testing through this program at this time. If you need transportation to Project Baseline’s testing site at the San Mateo County Event Center, please call (650) 779-9375 Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.. County residents must first visit Project Baseline by Verily to be screened for testing eligibility and obtain an appointment. Find out more by watching a short video to find out how Project Baseline testing works.
Private Testing Residents seeking tests should contact their primary medical or insurance provider to determine if they meet the criteria to be tested. Review the County of San Mateo's web page for more information on COVID-19 testing.
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Prevent Package TheftsWith limited access to stores due to COVID-19, a lot of us have turned to online shopping to get our necessities. You’d think that since most of us are home, we would receive our deliveries once delivered. This still isn’t the case. Packages remain on door steps for some time, so we need to remain vigilant to ensure a “Porch Pirate” doesn’t walk off with them.
Delivery of essential items are currently being prioritized over non-essential items. Delivery drivers are being overtaxed to make sure we all get what we ordered. If you are ordering online, please make sure to make bulk orders to prevent having multiple deliveries if possible, and if it can wait, then please do until normal life resumes.
What you can do to prevent package theft?- Track your package and subscribe to email or text notifications regarding delivery confirmations if available.
- Consider using a delivery locker. Many businesses now have these available. There are some essential businesses that have these now.
- Require signatures for higher value deliveries
- Make sure you leave clear delivery instructions. Some newer homes have their front doors on one side and garages on another. Check both locations for your package.
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We want to help make sure our community is supported and has access to resources as we all navigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.The San Mateo County Office of Community Affairs has a list of some important resources and materials that we hope our community can use to get through this difficult time. A general list of the County’s core service agencies is also available online. The State of California has also put together a COVID-19 Resource Page for residents.Update on Economic Impact PaymentsAs a result of the CARES Act, some residents will receive direct Economic Impact Payments from the IRS in the coming weeks. For taxpayers who filed tax returns in 2018 and 2019 and most seniors and retirees, no further action is needed. For those who did not need to file taxes over the past few years, you can visit the IRS website to provide the necessary information to ensure you receive payment as quickly as possible.
Check out the Economic Impact Payment Information Center to find out who is eligible and how much to expect.
Resources for ImmigrantsWe want to connect community members to resources regardless of immigration or citizenship status. These County and State resource guides have information on community-based organizations and other services available for our immigrant community. La orden del Oficial de Salud del Condado de San Mateo que requiere que el público y los trabajadores de las empresas esenciales usen cobertores faciales es exigible a partir de las 8 a.m. de mañana (22 de abril). El pedido y las preguntas frecuentes se encuentran en https://www.smcgov.org/covid19-face-covering ?????????????????????????????,???(4?22?)??8??????????????????????? http://www.smcgov.org/covid19-face-covering
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Help & Resources for SeniorsAre you an older adult? Do you need assistance, food or someone to chat with? There’s help! Call (650) 780-7542 Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. to talk with someone who can help you stay healthy, well and connected. Peninsula Family Service and the Peninsula Health Care District offer this free service to adults 60+ years. It’s available in multiple languages. Please share this information with those in your community too! You can always find more resources by calling 2-1-1 or visiting: the County's Resources web page or www.cityofsanmateo.org/coronavirus |
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Donate to Your Community Samaritan House's Main Event Samaritan House’s Main Event is going virtual! Fight poverty, give generously! Now you can help your neighbors by supporting the San Mateo-based nonprofit during their annual fundraiser. Samaritan House is a core service agency that provides direct assistance to those who need help with food, shelter, financial assistance, and other basic needs.
The Main Event raises critical funds to provide food, shelter, clothing and healthcare to those in need in our community. Now more than ever, we must come together. The Main Event is Samaritan House’s signature fundraising event and it is important to celebrate all of the fantastic work Samaritan House does. Not only in these certain times, but year-round for our thousands of neighbors in need. The Main Event will be held as a virtual gala on Thursday, April 30, 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Make a donation today and register now for this free event.
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Support Life & Consider Donating BloodWhile COVID-19 has changed a lot of our day-to-day activities, there is still a constant need for blood donations. There is no substitute for blood donation, which is an essential health care activity. Donation centers remain open – with extra precautions in place – to give you a safe way to support patients in need of blood. If you are healthy and would like to assist your community, please consider finding donation opportunities near you and schedule an appointment: |
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Give to SMC Strong & Support Your NeighborsWe're so proud of our community members who've been stepping up to support others in need. Now there's a way to donate directly to those impacted by COVID-19 through the San Mateo County Strong Fund.
Whether you want to give to a nonprofit, families/individuals, or small businesses - all funds will stay local & help keep us #SMCStrong!
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