Texas Border Business
BUDA, TX – As new COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths continue to surge in Texas and hospital systems strain to their limits, Tejano business leaders and organizations are stepping up to make a difference: Across the state, Hispanic businesses are taking a new #SayAdiosToCOVID pledge to get 100% of their employees fully vaccinated by the end of November.
Latino business leaders in Texas are in a unique position to help stop the spread of the virus in the Hispanic community, which has been hit with a higher COVID-19 rate and a higher number of deaths than others. That’s why the Texas Association of Mexican American Chambers of Commerce (TAMACC) has partnered with Your Shot Texas, a philanthropic collaborative, to fight the virus with information and resources.
“COVID is a serious threat to our employees, our customers, our businesses, and our community overall,” said J.R. Gonzáles, chairman of the TAMACC Foundation, the leadership training and education arm of the leading business organization in Texas. “As Tejano and Tejana business leaders, we have a responsibility to bring this pandemic under control, or we’ll face yet another economic crisis.”“It is not just the right thing to do, it’s also good business. We cannot afford another shutdown of the economy. Not when 70% of our people say they don’t have the financial reserves to cover three months of expenses if their employers close down,” Gonzáles said.
| Statistics show that over 200,000 Texas businesses closed last year, shuttered by the COVID lockdown. The Texas Restaurant Association says the state lost close to 10,000 eateries to the pandemic. TAMACC’s goal is to help get the state to herd immunity by having thousands of Tejano-owned businesses get a fully vaccinated workforce. Gonzáles said early reception to the initiative, which launched this week, has been extremely positive, and Hispanic chambers from El Paso to Waco and south to Corpus Christi and Del Rio are already working to promote the #SayAdiosToCOVID pledge. TAMACC has created a landing page on its website with all the resources businesses need to get their employees vaccinated. TAMACC also plans to announce webinars in Spanish and English to be conducted by participating chambers to share best practices with Tejano business leaders throughout the state. “We know it’s not easy. Nothing worthwhile ever is,” Gonzáles said. “But I know we all want to get back to normal, move on, and prosper. And getting as many shots in arms as we can is the best way to do that.” The Texas Association of Mexican American Chambers of Commerce is the leading business organization in Texas and has been since 1975. With a membership of over 15,000 businesses, TAMACC is the leading advocate for over 700,000 Hispanic-owned businesses in Texas. It has grown into the most active state Hispanic association in the country which focuses on Legislative Advocacy, Procurement Programs, Training and Development of its members and Hispanic businesses in Texas. Your Shot Texas is a collaborative response to raise confidence in COVID-19 vaccines and increase access among those most affected by the virus. The $2.35 million funds were created by Episcopal Health Foundation, Methodist Healthcare Ministries, and The Meadows Foundation and are administered by the Greater Houston Community Foundation. Other supporting funders include Arnold Ventures, The Cullen Foundation, The Cullen Trust for Health Care, Hogg Foundation for Mental Health, Carl B. & Florence E. King Foundation, Lyda Hill Philanthropies, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and Rockwell Fund, Inc. |
