CITY NEWS
CITY HELP FOR SCOTTSDALE BUSINESSES THE CITY OF SCOTTSDALE IS DOING ITS BEST TO HELP LOCAL BUSINESSES OF ALL SIZES DURING THESE UNPRECEDENTED TIMES. We’ve rounded up some recent initiatives that help Scottsdale businesses and the customers that they serve. SUPPORT SCOTTSDALE SITE OFFERS BUSINESS, RESIDENT RESOURCES The city of Scottsdale’s Tourism & Events and Economic Development departments, Experience Scottsdale and the Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce have partnered on a resource microsite to help businesses, employees, and residents navigate the COVID-19 outbreak. If you are a business owner or employee, make SupportScottsdale.com your first stop to access city, statewide and national programs to keep your doors open and Scottsdale’s workforce strong. The city is also collecting Instagram handles of businesses actively promoting offers or online shopping, as well as restaurants offering take-out, curbside or delivery, for the Shop Local and Meals To-Go pages of the site. If your business or restaurant fits these prerequisites, help support this initiative by using #supportscottsdale in your social media efforts.
SCOTTSDALE GOOD TO GO BUSINESS FINDER Scottsdale’s new interactive map puts local business information right at locals’ fingertips. The Scottsdale Good To Go Business Finder is a tool that allows users to locate open businesses. This new tool serves as a liaison between consumers and companies in terms of communicating their availability. Users can use their location to scroll through the map to see what restaurants, retail shops or hotels are open around them. “This is a great tool for both the business community and our residents to utilize now during the COVID-19 crisis when so much information is changing daily,” says Cristal Rodriguez Economic Development Marketing Manager. The Scottsdale Good To Go Business Finder was created by the City of Scottsdale’s Geographic Information Systems department. To use the tool or have your local business added to the map, visit choosescottsdale.com/media/ covid19/good-to-go. SCOTTSDALE SMALL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE CENTER OFFERS GUIDANCE Scottsdale’s Economic Development Department has launched a new initiative aimed at assisting Scotts-
dale small businesses. The Scottsdale Small Business Assistance Center (SSBAC) will serve as the city of Scottsdale’s virtual one-stop shop for Scottsdale businesses looking for information on available business support programs and resources during the COVID-19 crisis. The SSBAC looks to assist Scottsdale businesses with questions regarding federal, and other government funding programs and connect them with critical resources. Businesses can rely on the center to provide the most up to date information on assistance programs, step-by-step guides, and useful webinars. Upon contacting the virtual center, individuals will receive an email from the SSBAC team with valuable re-
sources and a commitment that a team member will follow up directly within one business day. “Our Scottsdale businesses are working tirelessly navigating complex programs while at the same time trying to run their businesses and take care of their employees. The SSBAC is designed as a resource to get information and we look forward to helping our small businesses,” says Rob Millar, Economic Development Director. The Scottsdale Small Business Assistance Center can be reached by texting 480-312-3111, emailing business@ scottsdaleaz.gov, or by visiting ScottsdaleAz.gov and searching “Small Business Assistance Center.”
HONORHEALTH PROVIDES MEALS TO SCOTTSDALE ELDERLY THROUGH MOBILE MEAL PROGRAM COMMITTED TO THE HEALTH AND WELL BEING OF THE COMMUNITIES, THE FOOD SERVICES TEAM AT HONORHEALTH SCOTTSDALE THOMPSON PEAK MEDICAL CENTER HAS PARTNERED WITH LOCAL COMMUNITY PROGRAMS TO HELP PROVIDE HEALTHY AND NUTRITIOUS MEALS TO HOMEBOUND ELDERLY NEIGHBORS. The initiative, called the Mobile
Meal Program, began back in 2015, as an attempt to develop interventions and improve nourishment for neighboring senior citizens. Studies show that providing a balanced intake of proper nutrition can support aging immune systems better, and can lead to quicker recovery times for those discharged from the hospitals, as well as reduce hospital admission rates. “As a registered dietitian, the objective of our meal service program is to work with our chef, Christine Leo, on an approved monthly menu for nutritional adequacy to ensure that seniors are receiving fresh, hot and nutritious meals,” says Melissa Schmidt, network director, clinical nutrition and food services at HonorHealth. “This not only makes eating convenient for people, but can help improve nutrition outcomes as well.”
Many factors can account for inadequate nutrition and the impact plays out in many ways. Seniors who 4 • May 2020 • THE SCOTTSDALE STANDARD
are undernourished or don’t eat enough can impact their daily health, and in cases where people are healing after a hospitalization, nourishment helps them heal faster.
The HonorHealth team preps and packages an average of 700 meals a week, which arrive hot for immediate consumption, or refrigerated for later. Community volunteers deliver the meals, making sure that residents have a hot and well-balanced meal each day. Since March, the program has cranked out an additional 100 meals a week and increased services to three area senior centers in the Scottsdale area due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “We love that we’re able to provide this service to our community,” Schmidt says. “It’s so rewarding to know that some of our homebound Scottsdale neighbors are able to receive a nutritious meal from us nearly every day.” thescottsdalestandard.com
