Nordstrom Finds Unique Ways to Support Communities in Response to Covid-19
Working Together in Our Communities
March 27, 2020
These are uncertain times and we hope you and your loved ones are all staying well. Everyone across the globe is feeling the impacts of COVID-19—including us at Nordstrom. During this challenging moment in time, we are looking at unique ways to help in our communities and highlighting how others can join together to make a difference.
We are the largest employer of tailors in North America, so we're learning how to leverage those capabilities to help with the medical supply shortage. We've teamed up with one of our partners, Kaas Tailored, to have members of our Alterations teams in Washington, Oregon, Texas and California sew more than 100,000 masks, which will be returned to Kaas for sanitization, and then distributed to Providence Health & Services.
Want to help? Check out Kaas Tailored's website for guides to making masks and how you can participate.
Already have supplies to donate? Visit GetUsPPE.org to find local donation sites in 41 states, or visit your local department of health's website to find out what is needed and how you can help.
We're also continuing to support our trusted partners like Seattle Foundation, which has established a COVID-19 Response Fund to support communities who are disproportionately impacted by this public health emergency. Another critical partnership is with YouthCare, who is working to ensure homeless and vulnerable young people in Seattle have access to nutritious food during this time by providing emergency response funds to support their daily meal program. Additionally, we're supporting Hetrick-Martin Institute's emergency meal service program to continue to serve LGBTQ+ youth, many of whom are currently experiencing homelessness, during this outbreak.
Volunteering where safe and donating are more important than ever. Use the links below to connect with each of our various partners:
Want more ways to help? Here are some ideas and organizations members of our team are already supporting:
- Donate blood—there is a severe shortage due to blood drive cancellations. Find a donation location near you.
- Help at-risk populations with tasks like grocery shopping or by volunteering for and supporting organizations like Meals on Wheels, Feeding America or your local food bank.
- Support local organizations pooling resources for those in need like All In Seattle and New York Community Trust.
- Buy gift cards from your local restaurants and service providers to redeem once businesses return to normal. Of course, you can still buy Nordstrom gift cards: We donate 1% of all gift card sales to nonprofits in our communities. Learn more at Nordstrom Cares.
- Think globally and support international organizations like Direct Relief and CARE.
It will take everyone coming together (while staying six feet away) to get through this. The most important thing everyone can do right now is to embrace social distancing and stay home if sick to slow the spread of the virus and flatten the curve. Keep doing your part and we will continue doing ours.