COVID-19 Surge Takes Toll on Bay Area Food Banks, Small Businesses

Bay Area food banks and small businesses are struggling to operate these days because so many workers and volunteers are getting COVID-19 and quarantining.

At food banks, the need doesn’t stop, so they’re pleading for healthy volunteers.

“It’s definitely affected us,” said Diane Zapata, director of volunteer engagement at Second Harvest of Silicon Valley. “We used to sell out volunteer shifts way in advance. Right now, we’re still seeing shifts where we’re not getting enough people.”

As for small businesses, some can’t even stay open full time because so many employees have COVID-19.

“Hard to find people to work,” Halal Gyro Express owner Zolmay Rasuli said. “Everybody are just scared to catch COVID.”

Source: NBC Bay Area