As an organization with a 50-year legacy of acting quickly to help communities and businesses respond to environmental challenges, our reaction to the outbreak of COVID-19 has been to double our efforts to support our community. We’d like to share what we’re doing to help.

We will continue to serve our partners and communities safely. The safety of our employees and our communities is our top priority, and we’re taking every possible precaution in these circumstances. Like many of you, our employees are working remotely and taking care of their families. For all of our staff and partners that conduct field-related work, we have updated our health and safety protocols to be compliant with current CDC guidelines. We are grateful for the efforts being deployed in our communities, particularly the endeavors to protect the most vulnerable among us.

We will continue to provide support to ‘essential services.’ While the state of affairs may make our work more challenging, it’s now even more critical. Our success as an environmental nonprofit has been built on helping businesses operate safely and efficiently when the performance of their energy and water systems is being put to the test. Grocers, one of the businesses we serve, are adjusting their operations to try to keep up with the unparalleled customer demand created by the coronavirus. These local grocery stores are providing critical food distribution that allows communities to sustain themselves. Our work helping them be more energy and water efficient will allow them to continue operating throughout this crisis.

We are adapting how we reach people. Across the country, schools are closed. Parents are now teachers. Along with math, science, reading, and writing, teaching physical education is now the responsibility of caregivers. Our bike youth education programs are designed to give students skills to ride safely and confidently. While we’ve normally provided that education in the classroom, we’re actively working to transition the curriculum to be accessed by educators and parents online. Likewise, for adults, we are continuing to accelerate the transition to sustainable transportation, whether it is an online discussion about switching to an electric vehicle or sharing tips for safe biking as a way to protect mental and physical health with appropriate social distancing.

Through all of these efforts, we are here for you.

Over the years, as our community has been faced with a variety of challenges, I have always been inspired by how we emerge stronger and with an even deeper sense of purpose. We want to encourage our friends everywhere to take the extra precautions necessary to safeguard their health and that of others.

Thank you for your continued support.

Jim Murphy
Executive Director
Ecology Action