It was only a matter of time before our favorite local businesses started hurting—and good, hard-working people began losing their jobs—after the COVID-19 pandemic swept through Upstate New York. (Unfortunately, at the moment, it’s only getting worse.) Almost immediately, though, the Saratoga Springs community woke up to the problem and joined forces to make sure that those affected the most by this crisis weren’t being ignored. (See: this free meals initiative or “Take Out Week.”)
As soon as all of the great events in town began getting cancelled en masse, I realized that we couldn’t continue publishing our popular weekly Calendar post. So, I put it on hold, temporarily. I quickly realized that it served an important purpose to our readership and that we needed to pivot, just as some local businesses have been doing in the wake of the outbreak. That led me to the idea of SL’s Job Hunters, in which Saratoga Living will be weekly hand-curating a list of the coolest remote work opportunities; available local gigs or full-time positions; and nonprofit organizations desperately seeking volunteers.
Heck, we’ll even throw in some great social media accounts that you can follow to pass the time at home—and ways that you can help brighten others’ spirits, whether it be through group wine-drinking chats (the SL/CRL staff has already pulled that off at least once), games, memes and everything in between. We’re here for you, Saratoga.
National/Remote Work
Cool Job Opportunity (National/Remote)
Spending all your mandatory lockdown time cooped up at home playing video games? Fancy yourself a scribe? Here’s the perfect work-from-home gig for you. The pop culture website Screen Rant is looking for a full-time, remote writer of video game guides. For more information, click here.
Cool Job Opportunity (National/Remote)
Did you whiz all of your standardized tests in high school? Tutor Me Education is looking to hire a number of remote tutors for tests such as the SATs, ACTs, ISEE, HSPT, GRE, GMAT, OLSAT and LSAT. For more info, click here.
Cool Job Opportunity (National/Remote)
Looking to do some good in the world, while things temporarily go to hell in a hand basket? The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is looking to hire a temporary, remote Education & Services Data Entry Clerk, for 9-12 months with an average of 25-35 hours per week. Click here for more information (or search for the position on Indeed).
Local Job Opportunities
Cool Job Opportunities (Local)
Supermarkets are getting a ton of foot traffic these days for obvious reasons. Working for a local supermarket chain is one of the steadiest local gigs at the moment—and because supermarkets have been deemed “essential” throughout the crisis, they’re not going away anytime soon. Check for job opportunities at Hannaford, Price Chopper/Market 32, Fresh Market, Trader Joe’s and more.
Cool Job Opportunities (Local)
Our idea of a good job is one where you have access to ice cream and all the sundae toppings all day long—that is, as long as you’re washing your hands for 20 seconds or more in between scoops. And Stewart’s Shops is just what the doctor ordered. The locally owned and operated company is another chain that’s currently hiring. Check out their job opportunities here.
Cool Job Opportunities (Local)
One of the industries most directly affected by the COVID-19 outbreak is the senior housing/living industry. I can speak from experience: My wife’s grandmother has been confined to her room, and no one can visit her, save for the nurses on staff, during the day. So we’re going to be barraging her with cards until we can go see her again. Turns out that The Wesley Community in Saratoga is hiring. Maybe now is your time to shine?
Cool Job Opportunities (Local)
There’s always a need for beverages to get from point A to point B. And since liquor stores have been deemed “essential” in New York State, that’s all the proof (wink wink) we need that related industries are still hiring. See: DeCrescente Distributing, who is still hiring amidst the crisis. And in the words of the almighty Beck, “bottles and cans and just clap your hands and just clap your haaands”: SKS Bottle & Packaging is also hiring right now, too.
Cool Job Opportunity (Local/National)
Stand and be hired! Hey, remember the Census? It’s still happening out there this year, and the federal government needs your help! The United State Census Bureau is in need of temporary, part-time workers all over the country, including right here in our neck of the woods. Check in about census jobs here.
Local Job/Business Resources
Get Hired With The Help Of A Local Disabled Veteran
OK, so some of you may not want to tackle Indeed, Monster or all of the other job boards out there right away. (Fun-employment is cool until it isn’t.) Why not go local? About five years ago, Saratogian Adam Britten, a military veteran, founded Home Base Recruiting, which is a Service Disable Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB). “I support clients in every vertical, including, private, public, corporate and government sectors,” Britten tells Saratoga Living. What separates him from his competitors in the area? Instead of simply specializing in one area of business, Home Base Recruiting covers a much wider swatch. And they have both local and national clients to prove it.
Hey, Local Business Owners: Figure Out How To Apply For A Disaster Loan
Family is a big part of what will get us all through the COVID-19 pandemic—and sometimes, it’s the people in your life who can help out the most. My smart, beautiful wife, Laura, works at one such “essential” business: Pursuit (formerly New York Business Development Corporation), who’s helped scads of your favorite local restaurants/bars/businesses (see: Druthers Brewing Company) secure small business loans (SBAs) throughout the years. Obviously, many small businesses are hurting out there—and many have been forced to apply for disaster loans. And while businesses can’t apply directly through Pursuit for loans at the moment, Laura’s been at the forefront of wading through all the gobbledygook online and providing clear, coherent resources that will help the Capital Region’s small business owners navigate how to do so. “It’s difficult to sort through all of the info available on small business resources, because there’s a lot out there, and it changes daily,” she tells me. So, she and her colleagues have created this handy resource: Click here for more information.
National Job Appeal
Cool Job Appeal (National/Remote)
The other day, Janine Kelbach, BSN, RNC-OB, messaged me on LinkedIn: Over the past week, I have had many of my Registered Nurse writer friends reaching out to see if I can help them find work. If you: (1) have a company or (2) are a writer and have work and are looking for health/medical content, please help me, help other nurses and health writers. Many of the ?⚕️ #nurse #freelancers I know are struggling right now and can help write content for industries in need. If you’re on LinkedIn, you can share her post here—or, if you’re looking for health writers, connect with me—Saratoga Living Editorial Director Will Levith—and I’ll connect you with Janine.
Cool Resources For Kids
518 Rainbow Hunt
On March 18, just as the COVID-19 outbreak was taking its sinister hold in the Capital Region, some upstart Capital Regionites formed the Facebook group, 518 Rainbow Hunt, with the sole purpose of bringing some sunshine to the lives of children in our community. The idea is for kids to take photos of rainbows in and around the community and share them via the #518RainbowHunt hashtag (if your kids are not of the age where it’s appropriate for them to have a social media account yet, you can post their photos to your own account). Or you can just join the Facebook group, which now has more than 60,000 members, and post them there.
Teach Your Children Well
Yep, you’re now not only a stay-at-home parent, but also a work-from-home teacher. Many parents are homeschooling their children while schools are on lockdown—and Scholastic is here to help. The book publisher, who might be best known as the publisher of the Harry Potter books, has recently rolled out an online education hub, with tons of free resources. Check them out here.
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Cool Diversions
Cool Instagram Handle
For all of you looking for a little sunshine in all of this darkness, do yourself a favor and follow Dogs Working From Home on Instagram. (My “essential” hound dog, Esopus, is taking the day off on the heater in the back of my home office today.)
Take This Survey, Be Entered To Win Dave Matthews Band Tickets
Hey, we realize you’re stuck at home these days, no matter if you’re working or not. Have a few minutes to spare? Fill out this short survey and be entered to win free box seats to catch the Dave Matthews Band at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center this July! Over the past few months, we’ve been working with a quartet of Skidmore College students from the Skidmore-Saratoga Consulting Partnership—and they’ve created this survey to help us figure out how to continue offering our subscribers, event-goers, followers and newsletter readers top-flight content and experiences. Take the short survey here.
