Mayor Michael Tubbs Bringing Awareness & Resources to help Latino Families

The end of the Summer has brought with it a grim reminder of just how harmful the coronavirus has been to our community. As of August, San Joaquin County surpassed 300 deaths due to COVID-19. In times of crisis it is important who is working to protect our communities. And Mayor Tubbs has used all his resources to do just that.

But in reality COVID-19’s impact has not spread evenly across California. Communities in our region have been hit hard. Infection rates for the Central Valley are between 10% to 18% as compared to 7.5% for the rest of California. Sadly, certain populations are seeing a disproportionate impact of infections, this is especially the case with our Latino community. Statewide Latinos account for a staggering 56% of coronavirus cases.
In March, our County saw its first COVID cases, and in infections continue to rise, ballooning to over 18,000 cases today. Quickly, in early April, Mayor Tubbs sprang into action bringing community leaders together to keep cases low and educate residents on how to slow the spread of the virus.
“Mayor Tubbs showed real leadership in the city’s response to the coronavirus. While many waited for the President to respond, the Mayor rolled up his sleeves and acted. He brought foundations, private industry, and government together to respond to this crisis. Stockton is much better off than we would have been without Mayor Tubbs’ quick and aggressive response,” said Ines Ruiz-Huston, community member and proud Stocktonian.

By end of April, the Mayor was able to raise over $2 million in private funds and another $27 million in state funding to help Stockton. The Mayor also launched StocktonStrong.org a one-stop-shop for COVID-19 related resources. And Nourish Stockton, a free service that has provided over 3,600 food deliveries for our families.

During this same period, the mayor and City and Council Members passed an eviction moratorium. They also provided grants for small businesses and nonprofits. Well known establishments such as Mi Ranchito Cafe and House of Ice Cream each received $3,000 to help bolster their businesses.
“It was just basically like an angel came down and just blessed us and helped us. So, we’re forever grateful,” Rod Tyler said, owner of House of Ice Cream who received a grant from the city, in a recent interview. “To have this as an extra lifeline, it gave us like an extra month to survive and figure out what we could do to keep our business alive.”

In July, Governor Gavin Newsom, working with the Mayor, paid a visit to Stockton, acknowledging the heavy toll our essential workers have faced. Sadly, in San Joaquin County many of our agriculture workers have borne the brunt of this virus. Some fear being tested will result in not being able to work. Others do not have access to tests or masks. In response, the Mayor teamed up with Univision to help spread the facts about COVID-19 testing and supplies.

The Mayor has participated in masks distribution events, including visiting with agriculture workers. During the distribution in Linden, Mayor Tubbs was able to meet with agriculture workers to hear firsthand their challenges surrounding the pandemic and their struggle to take care of their families.

“Hearing directly from the folks on our frontlines is so important,” said Mayor Michael Tubbs. ”I spoke with a mother who shared with me the struggles of work and looking after her six year old daughter. It’s important for us as city leaders to direct as many resources as possible to help Stocktonians as work to make ends meet during this pandemic.”
In his office alone, the Mayor has supplied Stockton residents with over 14,000 masks and the city distributed over $200,000 in personal protective equipment. The city has also moved to approve over $600,000 in funding to provide motel rooms to help serve our individuals experiencing homelessness in Stockton. All the while making sure there are no cuts in any of Stockton’s other services.

Going forward, Mayor Tubbs is teaming up to host a free COVID-19 testing event, which aims to help essential workers at the San Joaquin County Fairgrounds from September 19-20th between 9am to 6pm, where walks-ins are welcome.

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