Caring for Our Communities in Troubled Times at HPE
by Jennifer Temple, Chief Communications Officer, HPE
Hewlett Packard Enterprise announces support for Silicon Valley Strong Fund to help families, businesses and organizations in need
We were proud to join San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo, Silicon Valley community-based organizations and industry peers in announcing our participation in the Silicon Valley Strong Fund. The $11 million fund, a partnership between the City of San Jose and Silicon Valley Community Foundation, will support residents at the highest risk of displacement, community-based organizations who face both increased demand and added financial stress, and small businesses who contribute to communities’ vibrancy but now are at risk of closure for good.
140,000 families in Santa Clara County were living below the poverty line before the COVID-19 pandemic
To meet the most urgent need, the fund has established a financial assistance program to provide vulnerable, low-income residents in Santa Clara County with immediate help to pay rent or meet other critical necessities. In Santa Clara County, where HPE is headquartered and where the highest number of cases in the Bay Area have been diagnosed, 140,000 families were already living below the poverty line before the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, as businesses and schools close, they face the dual challenge of losing their source of income while taking on new caregiving responsibilities at home.
As a company whose origins are associated with the birthplace of Silicon Valley, HPE cares deeply about the health and resilience of this area. HPE Foundation is providing opportunities for our team members to make donations to the Silicon Valley Strong Fund, as well as to the Bay Area COVID-19 Coronavirus Emergency Funds held at the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, and will match all employee donations dollar for dollar.
When history is written about this moment, we will be asked ‘how did we care for one another?’
At yesterday’s press conference, Mayor Liccardo made a profound observation: “when history is written about this moment, we will be asked ‘how did we care for one another?’” We are doing everything we can to make our team members, customers and communities proud of our answer to that question.
