Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | May 11, 2020 | Worcester Business Journal 13 Worcester, 42% are black or Hispanic – two segments of the population hit disproportionately hard by coronavirus – and 40% of cleaning and building maintenance workers are in that category. at compares to 30% of the overall Worcester area workforce. e Federal Reserve Bank of Boston warned the pandemic could exacerbate existing inequalities, including for the nearly 2 million service workers in food service, warehouse and similar work across New England. e federal CARES Act, which commits funds for small businesses and individuals, can help, but not enough to offset longer-standing problems, the Fed said. Since the Great Recession, low-wage workers have seen no wage growth, and they're now entering a sudden recession potentially far worse than the one ended more than a decade ago, the PHOTO/MATT WRIGHT Service workers are left vulnerable The Worcester metropolitan area has a greater share of poorer service workers than Mas- sachusetts or New England averages, one of several challenges hitting industry workers during the coronavirus-related economic crisis. Food service 7% 6% 6% Cleaning, building maintenance 4% 4% 4% Retail 8% 6% 7% Warehouse 2% 1% 2% Share of workforce... Greater Worcester Massachusetts New England *Both populations have had disproportionate share of coronavirus cases and deaths. Notes: Percentages rounded to nearest whole. Greater Worcester includes Worcester County and Windham County, Conn. Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, University of Minnesota Fed's report said. In Worcester County, nearly 9% of the population and 12% of children are estimated to lack access to enough healthy food, according to the nonprofit Feeding America. at's before many lost their jobs. Some areas of Central Massachusetts have pockets of intense poverty. One census tract along Chandler Street Worcester has a median household income of $23,036, one-third the Massachusetts median of $77,378. In Fitchburg, a downtown census tract has a median household income of $17,039, and half the neighborhood's households live in poverty. e Irving Street corridor in Framingham has a median of $28,472. "e pandemic is not creating the inequities but is deepening them," Fields said. An influx of support GWCF diverts most of its funding to causes championed by donors. But it has some discretionary funds, and in mid-March, the foundation's board voted quickly to set up a special fund for coronavirus-related needs. A review process for grant applicants has been shortened to a 72-hour turnaround, as the foundation looks to get money into the hands of groups as quickly as it can. In less than two months, the fund has benefitted dozens of groups, including the Southeast Asian Coalition of Central Massachusetts to help immigrants and refugees, Rachel's Table to supply food pantries across Worcester County with milk, and the shelter Abby's House for additional staff and cleaning supplies. e fund has given to health organizations to adopt telehealth technology, and for others to help with housing needs, food and access to health care and protective equipment. e financial help is needed at a time when agencies are working hard to keep up with limited budgets and personnel. Open Sky, another beneficiary, used funding from the foundation and elsewhere to hire 30 to 40 new staffers since the pandemic began. In February, the agency already had vacancies in 200 full-time positions it was looking to fill, Bates said. "We've really focused a lot on homelessness and people on the edge, one rent check or paycheck away," he said. Venture Community Services is giving extra hourly pay to workers who volunteer to live in residential facilities to help limit their and clients' exposure. State aid and Venture's own cash reserves have helped, but the agency has still had to furlough roughly 140 workers, Hyland said – partly budgetary and partly because, with some staffers choosing to live in facilities, fewer workers are needed right now. Ascentria, knowing it would have to reduce some workers' hours and others would be facing heightened stress, started an employee fund for up to $500 in assistance. "What our workers do is stressful in normal times," Kinney said. e Worcester Together fund is in the first of three envisioned phases. is first phase – already longer than Fields says she expected – is on emergency needs. Later phases will be more strategically planned, with what are expected to be even greater needs. e emergency phase will be followed by a recovery and eventually a rebuilding and reimagining – hopeful terms for what is anticipated to Food service 60% 39% 40% Cleaning, building maintenance 47% 36% 38% Retail 54% 30% 31% Warehouse 45% 33% 34% All workers 34% 19% 20% Greater Worcester Massachusetts New England Percent of workers in families below 200% of poverty level Food service 29% 25% 22% Cleaning, building maintenance 40% 33% 0% Retail 25% 9% 17% Warehouse 42% 16% 28% All workers 30% 16% 15% Greater Worcester Massachusetts New England Percent black or Hispanic Food service 17% 15% 16% Cleaning, building maintenance 23% 16% 17% Retail 14% 14% 14% Warehouse 24% 15% 9% All workers 14% 8% 9% Greater Worcester Massachusetts New England Percent on SNAP benefits Ken Bates, CEO of Open Sky Community Services be a brighter future. Tim Garvin, the president and CEO of the United Way of Central Massachusetts, a partner with the Worcester Together fund, is among the optimistic. "I don't think I've ever been more excited and more scared at the same time," he said. Scared, Garvin said, because he hears about challenges of teachers trying to remotely work with students and sometimes having difficulty connecting, for example. He sees opportunities to make a difference. "ere has not been a day that's gone by through all of this that friends haven't reached out and said, 'I'd love to help but with sheltering in place, what can I do?' I tell them, whatever donations you give, anything will help," Garvin said. "We see this all the time," he added. "When there's a crisis, people step up, and they want to help." Tim Garvin, CEO of United Way of Central Massachusetts W

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