In just two weeks, Gary Dillabough and Jeff Arrillaga led the charge to create San Jose Ship Kits Inc., a nonprofit that makes shelter-in-place (aka SHIP) kits to support people hit the hardest by the coronavirus pandemic.
The first 200-plus kits were distributed on Friday at the Unite Here! Local 19 building on Zanker Road in San Jose. Real estate investor Urban Community partnered with several local companies—including Voyager Craft Coffee, SP2 Communal Bar and Restaurant, Non Plus Ultra and Academic Coffee—to serve the community in a time of crisis.
“As a group we all came together to build a coalition and move this thing,” said Arrillaga, who along with Dillabough are the co-founders of Urban Community.
Tin Le, who owns SP2, credited Arrillaga and Dillabough for their leadership and organization to get a non-profit up and running in just two weeks.
“It’s really a testament to Gary and Jeff to take the initiative to form this coalition,” Le said. “Just in the first day of assembly, approximately 1,000 people are benefitting from these kits. That’s quite an accomplishment, and we’re really proud of this group that almost in record time they spun up a non-profit in two weeks.”
