Small Business Mask & Sanitizer Distribution Succeeds Thanks to Generous Nevada County Spirit

In just 6 days, approximately 1,300 gallons of hand sanitizer and 314,000 surgical masks were given to more than 1,000 small businesses from Truckee to Penn Valley. The Nevada County spirit was on full display as volunteers from civic organizations, athletic clubs, service groups, chambers of commerce, special districts and local agencies banded together to support the Office of Emergency Services in providing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to small businesses and non-profit organizations. In total, 170 volunteers ranging from teens to retirees and representing more than 20 organizations helped during the distribution period.

“I feel so much more secure knowing that we’ve got a stash of supplies that we can freely hand out without penny-pinching and withholding from our staff…We’re well set up so that no matter what comes in the future, we won’t get caught like we did in March where there just wasn’t anything available. Thank you so much for getting us well-positioned for whatever the next few months hold for us. It’s really helpful to have those extra supplies. Thank you, thank you, thank you,” says Holly Verbeck from Hey Chef who received supplies in Truckee.

In addition to the PPE that was made available through the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) in collaboration with the Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA), small businesses were able to get evacuation tags and emergency planning materials from the county Office of Emergency Services and the Sheriff’s Office. In Truckee, businesses received information on how to complete the 2020 Census, and educational community resource pamphlets and flyers.

“With limited in-person outreach this summer, we felt it was a valuable opportunity to share tools to help Nevada County get ready for the possibility of a wildfire or Public Safety Power Shutoff,” said Jenn Tamo, Senior Administrative Analyst with Office of Emergency Services, who helped coordinate the effort. “It was wonderful to be reminded of how our community comes together during challenging times. This truly could not have happened without the incredible assistance from volunteers and organizations like 211 with their Volunteer Hub that mobilized quickly to bring everyone together,” she adds.

As a bonus, South Fork Vodka was inspired to add a donation of 300 gallons of hand sanitizer in various sizes to the donation bounty. “They were working alongside us at both locations on the distribution

days. There are so many people and organizations to thank. We could not have done this without them, or the generous donations of bags from Grocery Outlet, Mountain Hardware, Raley’s O-N-E Market, SPD Market, and Connecting Point,” adds Courtney Henderson, who coordinated the distribution effort in Truckee.

In addition to the 170 volunteers who made this event possible, of special note, the County Office of Emergency Services would like to thank the following partners:

Cal Office of Emergency Services
California Census 2020
Connecting Point
Economic Resource Council
Grass Valley Chamber of Commerce
Grass Valley Downtown Association
NC TECH
Nevada City Chamber of Commerce
Nevada County Association of Realtors
Nevada Union Athletics
Rotary International
Sierra Business Council
SPD Market
Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation
The Center for the Arts
Town of Truckee
Truckee Chamber of Commerce
Truckee Downtown Merchants Association
Truckee Tahoe Airport Community Partner
Truckee Welcome Center
Truckee-Donner Recreation & Park District

Originally published by Nevada County Office of Emergency Services