Big Businesses Respond To Coronavirus Pandemic: “If We All Work Together, I Am Confident That We Can Rise to The Challenge”

As the nation tries to grapple with what to do about COVID-19, many companies are coming up with their own plans to offer aide to customers. As the need for assistance grows, the response coming from companies to rise to the occasion has been nothing short of impressive and sure to increase in the days to come.

In response to college students being forced to leave campuses, U-Haul is offering one month of free self-storage so students can store their belongings. According to E News, John Taylor of U-Haul stated, “More and more universities are giving instructions to leave campus and go home…Students and their parents are in need of moving and storage solutions. We have the expertise and network to help, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”

The FCC announced initiatives to offer relief and retain customers’ internet services. Participants with the Keep Americans Connected Pledge include AT&T, Comcast, Verizon, Google Fiber, T-Mobile, and more. The 60-day effort will allow services to remain connected, which is critical as many may be unable to pay their bills due to being out of work and/or school. In a press release, FCC chairman Ajit Pai said, “They are stepping up to the plate and taking critical steps that will make it easier for Americans to stay connected during this pandemic and maintain much-needed social distancing. I urge other companies to join them. This may be a difficult time for our nation, but if we all work together, I am confident that we can rise to the challenge.”

T-Mobile is offering unlimited smartphone data, 20gb of additional hotspot data, increased data for schools in their EmpowerED program, and free calls to severely impacted countries. Sprint will also allow unlimited data to customers for 60 days in an effort for their customers to have internet and WiFi access while quarantined.

Amazon is looking to hire an additional 100,000 workers to keep up with the demand of delivery requests since the onset of the Coronavirus. They will also increase the hourly wage for warehouse and delivery workers by $2 until the end of April.

UberEats is offering a $0 delivery fee in the US and Canada, and you can request for your food to be dropped off at your doorstep. In addition, to support first responders, UberEats is committing 300K+ meals to support first responders and healthcare workers.

As information is rapidly changing, the response from businesses offering relief is subject to change. For the most current updates, please refer to each organization’s respective websites.