As families across the West Valley struggle to make ends meet due to the coronavirus pandemic and its economic fallout, Bay Area community leaders are coming together for fundraising telethon on Saturday, April 4, benefiting Silicon Valley Strong.
The Silicon Valley Strong Fund, launched March 23, has raised $11 million so far to provide financial assistance to low-income individuals who have lost work due to the COVID-19 crisis. The program supports high-risk residents, small and micro businesses, as well as community-based organizations.
Within three days of its kickoff last month, the program received 4,400 requests for assistance, well surpassing the number of households the organization could serve with its initial $11 million. That surge forced SV Strong to stop accepting applications. Over 4,800 additional households have since added their name to the interest list in hopes of accessing support.
To help meet this clear need, NBC Bay Area and community partners, including SPUR, the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, and the American Leadership Forum, are running a telethon to drum up support and raise funds.
Bay Area residents can tune in to NBC Bay Area (Channel 11, Cable 3 on most local cable channels) to watch and participate in the telethon. It kicks off at 7 p.m.