04.03.20 Press Release
Urban Community joins local partners Voyager Craft Coffee,
Non Plus Ultra, SP2, and Academic Coffee to create nonprofit
501(c)(3) org will distribute kits providing medical, nutritional, and emotion support to community impacted by COVID-19
April 3, 2020, San Jose, CA – Real estate investor Urban Community announces a partnership with several local companies to create a new 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, San Jose Ship Kits Inc., in an effort to create Shelter In Place (SHIP) Kits that will provide medical, nutritional and emotional support for community members in Santa Clara County whose livelihood has been negatively impacted by the state-wide Shelter in Place mandate. Partners include Voyager Craft Coffee, Non Plus Ultra, SP2, and Academic Coffee.
"Academic Coffee has always been a community coffee shop and we're happy to serve any way we can,” said Frank Nguyen, owner of Academic Coffee. “Right now, that means assisting with distribution of SHIP Kits to nonprofits that can reach those most in need during this crisis. I'm also reaching out to my industry network to help secure donations for SHIP Kits so we can keep up the positive momentum."
Each Kit will include mainly locally sourced items that offer nutritional support, medical supplies, and health and wellness products while providing job creation through the need for assembly and delivery of the kids. Nutritional support will include canned goods and non-perishables, such as pasta and oatmeal. Medical supplies will include sanitary necessities such as paper towels, toilet paper, and hand soap, and will soon incorporate hand sanitizer as well. Health and wellness products might include a deck of cards, coloring books, jumping ropes, puzzles, and other items. Kits are mostly targeted to families-in-need with children under twelve and hourly-wage earners.
“We wanted to get involved because we are seeing firsthand the impact of this crisis on our employees who we consider our family,” said Tin Le, owner of SP2. “This time has been very scary and filled with uncertainty. We know that families and individuals are impacted so severely that they don't know how they will be able to pay rent tomorrow, where they will get food to feed their children, or how they can protect themselves. All of these are serious, immediate issues and we're trying to focus on helping with that as much as possible. The response from the community has been overwhelming and the feedback has been great, but without any kind of idea how long this will last, we’ll need donations and volunteers to carry us through.”
Urban Community, with the assistance from Non Plus Ultra, have transformed their property housing the historic San Jose Armory in downtown San Jose into a temporary SHIP Kit production facility. All Kits will be produced using best practices for cleanliness and safety of packaging, delivery, and distribution. Distribution will occur at designated pick-up areas throughout Santa Clara County and will begin ramping up in April as capabilities increase. A touchless donation protocol is being implemented allowing families and individuals to receive a Kit without leaving their vehicle. The organization’s first distribution is scheduled for Friday, April 3 at 10:30am at Unite Here! Local 19 located at 2302 Zanker Road.
“We want San Jose Ship Kits to be a rapid response solution enabling us to get much-needed food and supplies to the people who need them the most, so it was really important for us to have the right partners,” said Ashley Pourroy, Manager of Community Relations and Outreach at Urban Community. “Voyager Craft Coffee, Non Plus Ultra, SP2, and Academic Coffee exemplify a commitment to supporting our community during this crisis. Together, we hope to help families and individuals stay safe and healthy as we shelter in place.”
To find out more about SHIP Kits, how you can donate, or to become a partner, visit www.sjshipkits.com.
About Urban Community LLCCommitted to enhancing the urban user experience in downtown San Jose, as a real estate developer, Urban Community collaborates with community members, designers, technologists, city officials, and builders alike to re-envision downtown San Jose. Based in San Jose, through their projects, Urban Community strives to create exceptional environments that catalyze community at every layer. Learn more at https://urbancommunity.com/
Media Contact
Ashley Alexander | NINICO Communications | ashley@ninicocommunications.com