US restaurants seek $455 billion in aid: Practical ways we can shine the light of God’s love

My wife and I recently ate a meal we picked up from a local
restaurant. Their dining area was empty and would close to the public later
that evening. They, like so many others, are concerned about whether they can
stay in business during the coronavirus crisis.

Unsurprisingly, a US restaurant group has asked the White
House and congressional leaders for a $455 billion aid package. They say the
industry could lose nearly half of its 15.6 million jobs and at least a quarter
of its annual sales because of the pandemic.

More specifically, the group said restaurants could take a $255 billion sales hit in the next three months, a quarter of their projected total sales of $899 billion. They note that the even broader impact could be a loss of $675 billion since every dollar spent at a restaurant generates an additional $2 elsewhere in the national economy.

The group’s request includes the creation of a $145 billion Restaurant and Foodservice Industry Recovery Fund to provide immediate liquidity to operators, $100 billion of federally backed business interruption insurance, and $135 million of disaster unemployment assistance. They are also seeking $45 billion in loans, $35 billion for federal community block grants for disaster help, and tax relief.

Practical ways we can shine the light of God’s love

This story highlights just one aspect of the crisis we are
experiencing. Unlike anything in my lifetime, coronavirus impacts every
dimension of our lives. The Great Recession affected us financially but not
medically. The Ebola epidemic was not global. Even 9/11, as horrific as it was,
affected the US more directly than any other nation.

Think about how different the world is today from what it
was just two months ago. Is there a part of life that is not affected by
this virus and its consequences?

One way we can help our nation is to help each other.

I cannot donate much toward the restaurant industry’s $455 billion request, but…