Doing Our Part to Get COVID-19 Resilient

In times of great suffering and need comes great leadership. In 1847, the Choctaw nation gathered money to help the Irish during the Great Potato Famine. As generous as this was, it should be noted that it was less than twenty years prior when the Choctaw survived forced relocation, malnutrition, and a cholera epidemic. This month, hundreds of Irish people returned the favor by giving to a charity drive for two Native American tribes suffering in the Covid-19 pandemic. What it reminds us is that in a stressful period like this, we are all part of the safety net, be it 1847, or 2020.

Many of our customers have taken different steps to extend the safety net. Some of the actions that we are aware of:

• Store closures to ensure employee and shopper safety
• Donation of personal protective equipment (PPE) to first responders and health workers
• Building multiple sanitizer factories to produce hand sanitizers
• Switching existing factories to produce hand sanitizers
• Donation of coffee to healthcare and public safety workers
• Donation of money to charities involved in work with communities during the crisis
• Providing free meals for health care workers and first responders at drive-thrus
• Granting paid leave for all employees vulnerable to COVID-19

At Arkieva, we are trying to do our part for the local communities through donations. Recognizing that local charities are especially stressed; we have channeled our material contribution through them. In addition, we have been using our global network to source and donate PPE to hospitals. We are especially proud that in addition to normal donations, our consultants are actively using the Arkieva software in at least two non-profit organizations to deal with their planning challenges. We stand ready to assist any other non-profit that might need assistance in analyzing data and planning the allocation of resources.

All our employees are working from home for the last 8+ weeks. In one form or another, we do expect this to continue for at least 12 months. As we adjust to the new work environment, we need your help and input to understand how we can best continue to serve our customers. We are ready to adapt as needed to provide you support and assistance.

Meanwhile, stay safe and keep washing those hands.