A tumultuous 2020 brought oceans of hardships for many, and Travis County Commissioner Brigid Shea said she still can’t quite believe everything that happened this year. “Covid-19 has been just surreal,” Shea said. “Are we really living through a global pandemic that has altered everyone’s lives and killed millions of people? The answer is yes, […]
Alyssa Weinstein
Posted inAustin
Human Rights Commission passes recommendation for domestic violence survivors
Late last month, the city’s Human Rights Commission unanimously passed a recommendation to continue providing hotel shelter for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking during the Covid-19 pandemic. Courtney Santana, a Human Rights commissioner and the CEO of the foundation Survive 2 Thrive, told the Austin Monitor that means struggling Austin-area shelters […]
Posted inAustin
The pitfalls of being an Austin service industry worker during Covid-19
Gina Dvorak has been working since she was 16 – she’s never not had a job. So when she was furloughed from the serving job she’s held for over 10 years at an Austin Japanese restaurant, she fell into a state of depression and uncertainty. Dvorak joined the droves of other service industry workers who […]
Posted inCity Hall
City considers racial equity in Hotel Occupancy Tax distribution
Earlier this month, the city’s Economic Development Department provided an update and offered a handful of recommendations for how it plans to use Hotel Occupancy Tax funds to achieve greater racial equity in Austin. The three high-level recommendations mainly have to do with systems to better serve minority communities – especially those with English as […]
Posted inAustin
Austin families navigate food insecurity inflicted by Covid-19
Jacylin Moya and her mom woke up early Saturday morning to do something they had never done before – go to a Central Texas Food Bank drive. With a line of cars ahead of them, they waited in their car until 8 a.m., when it was time to drive up and collect their box of […]
Posted inAustin
UT Austin opens health clinic, weighs closure plan as it prepares for potential coronavirus spread
UT Austin said Monday it’s preparing to move all classes online if COVID-19 cases are confirmed in the Austin area. The university is also advising students on how to avoid spreading the disease and how to travel safely over spring break. Members of UT’s administration talked Tuesday about the strategies they are developing. Here’s what […]