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San Francisco hardware store becomes nerve center to help West Portal neighbors get through pandemic
A West Portal neighborhood hardware store has become a default coronavirus command post to help neighbors and organizers as they hunker down and ride out the pandemic.
SAN FRANCISCO - On San Francisco's West Portal Avenue, just down from the Muni tunnel, a small hardware store has become the nerve center in a community-wide effort to help neighbors get through the pandemic.
''I'm seeing people that are bending over backward to help each other," said Karl Aguilar, co-owner of Papenhausen Hardware.
Papenhausen, along with the community group called Resilient West Portal Monday, boxed up more than 200 donated N-95 masks and goggles, and delivered them to Kaiser Hospital San Francisco. The group has now collected more than 700 masks for various hospitals.
"If they can get a fresh mask to see another patient, that is incredibly valuable," says Ben Matranga of Resilient West Portal.
Papenhausen, which only recently rebounded from a fire, has shifted its focus to helping get cleaning products, disinfectants and other suppliesto help fight the battle in front of all of us. The store has become west portal's coronavirus command post.
"Hardware stores have always been a central part of the community...I see a lot of people coming in to buy supplies, to make personal protection equipment for hospitals. Donating the time and money. It's kind of overwhelming," said Aguilar.
"For them to redo their business model to help this effort by collecting supplies and ordering for different medical facilities is key," said Stephanie Lima of Resilient West Portal.
Resilient West Portal grew from about a dozen volunteers to more than a hundred in just days,
The group plans to tape this flyer to the front doors of more than 6,000 homes offering help. The primary focus is seniors. The group is creating a database to find them.
"A lot of older individuals may not be on the web. They may not have internet or only a landline...They could call us if they need groceries or ordered groceries and need them delivered," said Lima.
Neighbors also organized a teddy bear hunt for young children in the neighborhood. People put stuffed animals in their windows to give little ones something friendly to look at or count up as they walk by with their parents.
Neighbor helping neighbor. In many communities, it's more than just a catch phrase.