Amid the devastating consequences of COVID-19, several local businesses are reaching out to support frontline workers.

Here's one example: B.C.-based hotel chain Accent Inns has partnered with the United Way to build the Hotels for Frontline Workers Fund. People looking to support essential service workers can donate to cover these people's accommodation costs.

The program applies to all Accent Inn locations in Richmond, Burnaby, Victoria, Kamloops and Kelowna, allowing workers to stay at low or no cost.

The program started out as an offer by Accent Inns of reduced rates to health-care workers after the general manager of the Victoria location received a call from a registered nurse who was on the verge of tears. The nurse said some colleagues were sleeping in their cars to prevent passing on the coronavirus to their elderly parents or kids at home. 

Many nurses were working 14-hour days with only a short time between shifts. They needed a safe place to get some rest and keep their families healthy.

The nurse had called a few other hotels and they were not accepting reservations because they were closing their doors.

Accent Inns created the Healthcare Offer.

Soon after, the hotel’s phone lines were flooded with concerned community members offering to cover the cost of accommodation for essential services employees. 

Hence the Hotels for Frontline Workers Fund in partnership with the United Way was born.

United Way Greater Victoria is administering the program through its Local Love in a Global Crisis Fund, which it created response to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

To donate to the Hotels for Frontline Workers Fund or if you are frontline worker needing accommodation, go to accentinns.com/essentialservices

More info about Local Love in a Global Crisis Fund is at uwgv.ca/covid19.