This is how private companies work with the government to support parents
When Teddy Tubbs, the former mayor of California, was still in office, he developed a pilot program that offered $500 a month to residents whose income was less than $46,000. For 24 months starting in February 2019, 125 residents of Stockton received a monthly cash payment. However, in a panel discussion at the Fast Company Innovation Festival, Tubbs revealed that it was not until the pandemic hit that he realized how important a guaranteed income is to these families.
"I am very interested and enthusiastic, but I am not ready to say that it is absolutely necessary; I will spend most of my time talking and fighting for established policies," Tubbs said. "But for several reasons, COVID-19 has really changed my view of guaranteed income. First, we are living in a pandemic, so it’s not just COVID-19. Just this month, many places in California There is a wildfire. As we have seen in the south, this is a flood, an earthquake; every month, every quarter, there will be some kind of shocking pandemic.” In addition, Tubbs also saw here comes how the stimulus checks and expanded child tax credits that passed earlier this year helped “build economic resilience so that people can better respond when a pandemic occurs.”
In June 2020, Tubbs formed a coalition called "guaranteed income mayors" to unite other mayors around this concept to help them raise funds and establish their own guaranteed income pilot program. Since then, more than 55 mayors have signed the initiative. "I used to think [guaranteed income] was idealistic, but I thought it was very pragmatic," Tubbs said. "Poverty is too expensive." Tubbed pointed out that the child tax credit is a form of guaranteed income, although it only applies to families with children.
But when it comes to supporting working families, public policy measures such as child tax credits are only part of the puzzle. This is where organizations such as the Los Angeles-based non-profit organization Baby2Baby come in. Baby2Baby has long provided diapers and other basic necessities to poor families across the country. During the pandemic, these demands have grown exponentially: Baby2Baby’s co-founders and co-CEOs Norah Weinstein and Kelly Sawyer Patrick said the need for diapers An increase of 350%, the New York Governor’s Office commissioned a non-profit organization to ensure that 20 million diapers are distributed free of charge at the food bank.
"In that case, what we did was go to private companies," Weinstein said. "We are cooperating with companies such as Honest Company and Hello Bello. In addition, we started manufacturing diapers for the first time, and we did this because we can make them with less money. The retail price of diapers is about US$35 per piece. Cents; we will use 6 cents a diaper to make them. Then we can distribute the quantity we want, the size we want, and send them to New York when we need it."
三和一善
The pandemic has also triggered a shortage of infant formula, so that FEMA turned to Baby2Baby for help. "In our 10-year history, this may be the most surprising call we have received," Weinstein said. "Based on our relationships and relationships and our excellent corporate sponsorship department, we did work with local manufacturers; we did produce the formula ourselves. We quickly got it and sent it to FEMA families who needed it. But suppose the government will help non-profit organizations under these circumstances. In fact, we have seen that non-profit organizations are actually helping the government."
Public-private relations can also help promote important policy changes, such as the abolition of California’s diaper sales tax, which is the result of Weinstein and Sawyer Patrick’s lobbying for Governor Gavin Newsom. This may sound like a small change-but for families that can't even afford diapers, let alone a tax on diapers, it can make a big difference. "I think it's not small when people pay 70 to 80 dollars per month for diapers for each baby, and when they are the fourth largest expenditure after food, rent, and utilities," Weinstein said.
Nevertheless, the tax still exists in 35 states. As Baby2Baby’s demand for diapers exceeds 731 million in 2021, this will require changes in public policies, such as guaranteed income and tax relief, and continuous assistance from non-profit organizations and private companies to help families recover after we get rid of the pandemic .
"Although this time is so difficult and the road ahead is so long, especially for families living in poverty, what we have been talking about is that we can give a family a pack of diapers, and we are giving hope," Sawyerpatrick said. "We are all focused on this goal to inspire families, get them back on their feet, and help them recover from COVID. And I think the more work we can do together, the better we can reach our goals.”