My Google Map Blog

In Google’s early days, around this time every year, a group of us would run to Costco and buy supplies to take to Bay Area food banks and pantries. It was a grassroots effort that was scrappy and meaningful — and it introduced a lot of Googlers to how rewarding giving back can be. It made me want to learn what more we could do to have an even bigger impact.

Inspired by our small and mighty food donation operation, I became a passionate supporter of Second Harvest Food Bank in Silicon Valley. And with guidance from food assistance experts, we established a dedicated team at Google in 2020 to work on tackling issues of food waste and food insecurity. Too many families are having to make difficult decisions no one should be forced to make: paying rent, bills, healthcare costs — or keeping food on their table. These challenges have only been compounded by the COVID-19 crisis, which has left more than 54 million working Americans struggling to find a meal. That’s nearly 16% of the country.

Google co-founder Larry Page once said "people are starving in the world not because we don't have enough food. It's because we're not yet organized to solve that problem." The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UNFAO) reports that the world produces more than we need to feed every person on this planet. This isn’t a problem of supply, it’s a problem of distribution. And while solving this issue will require work from government, businesses, nonprofits and individuals working together, one way Google can help is to give people easy access to the information they need, when they need it.

Helping people find food pantries

When you look at Google Search trends, you can see that searches for "food bank" and “food pantry” spike during the month of November.

Food banks have always been critical to making sure people have regular access to nutritious food, but the ongoing pandemic has drastically increased their role as a crucial lifeline in so many communities. With the need for their services doubling or even tripling in some areas, we want to make sure that the people who need them most can find them.

That’s why we’ve launched a new initiative to expand the information about food banks and pantries in Google Search and Maps. We’ve augmented existing coverage with data from two initial nonprofit partners: WhyHunger and Hunger Free America, and we’ve added information to make sure people searching for food support can find what they need. These changes are being made directly in Google Maps so food banks, food pantries and soup kitchens can focus on what matters most — getting people food.

Still, some of these locations don’t yet have websites or phone numbers available on Google. So over the last two months, we've worked to update this information in Search and Maps, making 85,000 plus calls to verify local food banks and pantries. These efforts will continue through the holidays.

We’ve also developed new Google Business Profile features specifically for food banks, pantries and soup kitchens. They can now provide details on their profile, like whether an appointment is needed, if there are eligibility requirements to receive food and what languages are spoken. They can also add information about their services, like whether prepared meals are available or if grocery delivery is an option. Additionally, pantries can specify whether they’re accepting new volunteers or soliciting food or monetary donations.

Helping people access benefits

Beyond working with food pantries, we’re also helping people use Search to find out how to get and use food assistance benefits.

Federal programs like the Supplemental Nutrition and Assistance Program (SNAP) feed more than 40 million Americans each year. We heard from users that information about these programs is often hard to find, especially for people who are using them for the first time. Today, if you search on Google for “SNAP benefits,” or the name of your local SNAP program, you’ll find direct links to each state’s eligibility guidelines and application process, including contact information for local food assistance agencies.

Once approved, many people use Electronic Benefits Transfer cards (also known as EBT) to pay for their groceries. Now, if you search for “grocery stores that accept EBT” you can easily find USDA-approved stores that accept this form of payment — saving time and potential confusion.

Supporting hunger relief organizations – and the communities they serve

I’m also proud to announce that we’re contributing financial support as well. Since the COVID-19 crisis began, Googlers have stepped up – giving more than $22 million in personal donations and company-match to hunger relief organizations in the U.S. Today, Google is contributing an additional $2 million in support ($1 million in cash funding and $1 million in donated ads from Google.org) to 20 food banks, pantries and innovative hunger relief organizations across the country.

There is no easy solution to these large-scale challenges that face our communities, but I’m hopeful that increasing access to information about local food support programs and services can help. Our teams are hard at work and committed to building new tools and features that support economic recovery in the U.S. – and around the world – as we weather the COVID-19 crisis. And I personally am really looking forward to getting back to sorting and distributing food with my family at our local food bank.

You can make an impact by volunteering your time, making a donation, using your voice, or a combination of each — there are a number of ways we can all give back. If you need a place to start, you can donate to the largest national network of food banks, Feeding America. Or you can get involved locally: just search for your nearest food pantry on Google and contact them to see what they need. And if you know someone who might need food assistance, you can simply help by sharing resources. Spreading the word not only about what you’re doing to help, but why can make a huge difference.

Ver abajo versión en español

At the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, which I have the honor to lead as president and CEO, helping Latino-owned businesses succeed is at the center of our mission. Our responsibility to the more than 4.7 million Latino-owned businesses and our growing network of 260 local chambers and business associations nationwide is to pursue and advocate for inclusive economic growth and development that build shared prosperity.

We represent the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs in the U.S., and we don’t take that responsibility lightly. The number of Latino business owners has grown by 34% over the last 10 years compared to just 1% for all other businesses, according to a recent study by the Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative, and much of this growth has been driven by Latinas. These new businesses are invigorating, highlight our potential and are what motivates me everyday.

In 2020, with the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, our chambers became emergency rooms for small businesses. We quickly mobilized and awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants directly to Latino owners and our local chambers to provide assistance. These funds were a lifeline for Latino businesses to keep the lights on, make payroll, rent and meet other critical needs.

We also provided technical assistance, established online resource hubs in English and in Spanish and graduated more than 200 Latino-owned small businesses through our accelerator program.

Last year was also our most active year in Washington, D.C. We raised $850 billion to provide assistance for our Latino small business members. We advocated for access to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) for both Latino-owned businesses and 501(c) (6) Chambers of Commerce.

As we take a moment to reflect on our progress to date, we have our eyes on the future. There is no denying that the world has dramatically changed, and we need to adapt and thrive, not just to survive. And technology is driving change forward faster than ever before.

We got a glimpse of the transformational power of technology through our partnership with Google last year. We collaborated to provide extra funding and Grow with Google curriculum support to 40 of our chambers across the country. Together, we trained 10,000 Latino small businesses and the initial results and impact we've seen is truly remarkable.

Google and the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce share a deep commitment to economic opportunity, development and advocacy for Latinos. This is why today, we are sharing that Google will be making a $5 million investment in Latino-owned businesses and community organizations.  Together we are also unveiling a new Latino-owned attribute that will be available across Google Search, Maps and Shopping. All this is part of Google's $15 million investment in economic equity for Latinos.

Building more resilient Latino businesses

Today, we are deepening our partnership with Google with an additional investment that will allow us to create Grow with Google digital resource centers and train an additional 10,000 Latino business owners on how to use digital tools to grow their business. This work is critical to setting up Latino business owners for success for the long haul. These new skills, training and resources will help them be competitive in today's digital economy and allow us to help aspiring entrepreneurs to think digital-first. 

Google.org is also providing funding to support the Latino Community Foundation's Entrepreneurship Fund, an initiative that strengthens Latino-led small businesses and micro-entrepreneurs across California. It will directly invest in 150+ micro-entrepreneurs to support the tireless work of street vendors, cleaning services, landscapers, childcare providers and other micro-entrepreneurs. For Latino-owned businesses, running a business is often a family affair, and the Entrepreneurship Fund will increase and improve the online presence for Latino-owned small restaurants through the creation of websites and social media accounts designed and managed by youth participating in tech skills building programs.

This is in addition to Google's ongoing support of nonprofits through $3 million in donated ads to Latino organizations. This includes the Hispanic Access Foundation, which uses Google.org's support to advertise internships for Latino college students, fundraise for DACA fee scholarships, and more — all in service of enabling more Latinos in the U.S. to achieve economic success.

Identify and buy from Latino-owned businesses

Today, we are partnering with Google to unveil a Latino-owned attribute that will be available on Search, Maps and Shopping, in the coming weeks, so businesses can easily identify as Latino-owned on Google. This update builds on the Black-owned, Veteran-owned and Women-owned business attributes, and is another way people can support diverse businesses across Google’s products and platforms.

For more than 20 years, Google has been at the forefront of democratizing access for all —  it's one of its core values. Underrepresented groups have been beneficiaries of that mission, which is still alive today. This is why we deeply believe Google's open platforms, digital training, tools and resources are critical to advancing economic equity for the Latino community.  

Today's investments and product updates will provide our members, chambers and our communities a much needed boost. We are glad to help spotlight Latino-owned businesses in a new light, showcase our resilient spirit and invoke action. We are energized by our momentum and are eager to get back to business. I believe our future is bright - and today thanks to Google, it's a little brighter.

Abriendo caminos: Nuevos caminos para las empresas de propietarios latinos

Google y la Cámara de Comercio Hispana de los Estados Unidos (United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce) se asocian para ofrecer un atributo de propietarios latinos en Búsqueda (Search), Maps, y Shopping, además de nuevo apoyo financiero y capacitación en habilidades para propietarios de empresas latinas y organizaciones sin fines de lucro. 

En la Cámara de Comercio Hispana de los Estados Unidos, donde tengo el honor de dirigir como presidente y director ejecutivo, ayudar a las empresas latinas a tener éxito está al centro de nuestra misión. Nuestra responsabilidad con las más de 4.7 millones de empresas de propietarios latinos y nuestra creciente red de 260 cámaras locales y asociaciones comerciales en todo el país es buscar y abogar por el crecimiento y el desarrollo económico que construya la prosperidad compartida.

Representamos al grupo de emprendedores de más rápido crecimiento en los Estados Unidos y no nos tomamos esa responsabilidad a la ligera. El número de propietarios de negocios latinos ha crecido en un 34% en los últimos 10 años en comparación con solo el 1% de todos los demás negocios, según un estudio reciente de Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative, y gran parte de este crecimiento ha sido impulsado por latinas. Estos nuevos negocios son estimulantes, resaltan nuestro potencial y son lo que me motiva todos los días.

En 2020, con la llegada de la pandemia COVID-19, nuestras cámaras se convirtieron en salas de emergencia para pequeñas empresas. Rápidamente nos movilizamos y otorgamos cientos de miles de dólares en subvenciones directamente a pequeñas empresas de propietarios latinos y nuestras cámaras locales para brindar asistencia. Estos fondos fueron un salvavidas para las empresas latinas para mantener las luces encendidas, pagar nóminas, renta y satisfacer otras necesidades críticas.

También brindamos asistencia técnica, establecimos centros de recursos en línea en inglés y en español y graduamos a más de 200 pequeñas empresas latinas a través de nuestro programa acelerador de pequeñas empresas. 

El año pasado también fue nuestro año más activo en Washington, D.C. Recaudamos $850 mil millones de dólares para brindar asistencia a nuestros miembros latinos de pequeñas empresas. Abogamos por el acceso al Programa de Protección de Cheques de Pago (PPP) tanto para las empresas propiedad de latinos como para las Cámaras de Comercio 501 (c) (6).

Mientras nos tomamos un momento para reflexionar sobre nuestro progreso hasta la fecha, tenemos la mirada puesta en el futuro. No se puede negar que el mundo ha cambiado drásticamente y que necesitamos adaptarnos y prosperar, no solo para sobrevivir. Y la tecnología está impulsando el cambio más rápido que nunca.

Pudimos vislumbrar el poder transformador de la tecnología a través de nuestra asociación con Google el año pasado. Colaboramos para proporcionar financiación adicional y curriculum de Grow with Google a 40 de nuestras cámaras en todo el país. Juntos, capacitamos a 10,000 pequeñas empresas latinas y los resultados iniciales y el impacto que hemos visto son realmente notables.

Google y la Cámara de Comercio Hispana de los Estados Unidos comparten un profundo compromiso con las oportunidades económicas, desarrollo y abogacía para latinos. Es por eso que hoy compartimos que Google realizará una inversión de $5 millones de dólares en la comunidad empresarial de propietarios latinos y organizaciones comunitarias. Juntos estamos presentando un nuevo atributo de propietarios latinos que estará disponible en la Búsqueda de Google, Maps y Shopping. Todo esto es parte de la inversión de $15 millones de dólares de Google en equidad económica para latinos.

Construyendo negocios latinos más resilientes

Hoy, estamos profundizando nuestra asociación con Google con una inversión adicional que nos permitirá crear centros de recursos digitales Grow with Google y capacitar a 10,000 propietarios de negocios latinos adicionales sobre cómo usar herramientas digitales para hacer crecer su negocio. Este trabajo es fundamental para que los empresarios latinos tengan éxito a largo plazo. Estas nuevas habilidades, capacitación y recursos los ayudarán a ser competitivos en la economía digital actual y nos permitirán ayudar a los aspirantes emprendedores a pensar primero en lo digital. 

Google.org también está proporcionando fondos para apoyar el Fondo de Emprendimiento (Entrepreneurship Fund) del Latino Community Foundation, una iniciativa que fortalece a las pequeñas empresas y microempresarios liderados por latinos en todo California. Invertirá directamente en más de 150 microempresarios para apoyar el trabajo incansable de los vendedores ambulantes, servicios de limpieza, jardineros, proveedores de cuidado infantil y otros microempresarios. Para las empresas de propietarios  latinos, administrar una empresa es a menudo un asunto familiar, y el Fondo de Emprendimiento aumentará y mejorará la presencia en línea de los pequeños restaurantes de propietarios latinos a través de la creación de sitios web y cuentas de redes sociales diseñadas y administradas por jóvenes que participan en programas que forman sus habilidades tecnológicas.

Esto, en adición al apoyo continuo de Google a las organizaciones sin fines de lucro a través de $3 millones de dólares en anuncios donados a organizaciones latinas. Esto incluye la Hispanic Access Foundation

https://hispanicaccess.org/

Identificar y comprar en empresas de propiedad de latinos

Hoy, nos asociamos con Google para anunciar un atributo de propietarios latinos que estará disponible en la Búsqueda, Maps y Shopping en las próximas semanas, para que las empresas puedan identificarse fácilmente como propietarios latinos en Google. Esta actualización se basa en los atributos de negocios Black-owned, Veteran-owned y Women-owned; y es otra manera la gente puede apoyar a diversas empresas a través de productos y plataformas de Google.

Durante más de 20 años, Google ha estado a la vanguardia de la democratización del acceso para todos —  es uno de sus valores fundamentales. Los grupos subrepresentados se han beneficiado de esa misión, la cual continúa vigente hoy. Es por eso que creemos profundamente que las plataformas abiertas, la capacitación digital, las herramientas y los recursos de Google son fundamentales para promover la equidad económica para la comunidad latina.  

Las inversiones de hoy y las actualizaciones de productos proporcionarán a nuestros miembros, cámaras y comunidades un impulso muy necesario. Nos complace ayudar a destacar las empresas de propietarios latinos bajo una nueva luz, mostrar nuestro espíritu resistente e invocar la acción. Nuestro impulso nos llena de energía y estamos ansiosos por volver al trabajo. Creo que nuestro futuro es brillante, y hoy, gracias a Google, es un poco más brillante.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges and emphasized how important it is for each of us to do our part to help find solutions. I’m sharing an update here on how Google is contributing to keep people safe and helping to get American businesses back up and running.

Contributing to economic recovery efforts

As I’ve written earlier, to help small businesses gain easier access to badly-needed capital, we founded the $170 million Grow with Google Small Business Fund alongside $10 million in Google.org grants, with an aim to help the most underserved small businesses, particularly those owned by women and minorities. In collaboration with Opportunity Finance Network, more than $53 million dollars of loans and Google.org grants have been allocated to community partners who are focused on serving rural, women, Black, Latino and Native borrowers, which helps American communities start to get back on their feet. Tires by Papi and Bailiwick Clothing Company are two such examples.

Of course, our greatest contribution continues to be developing products to help people stay informed, adapt and get through this pandemic. 

According to the Connected Commerce Council, nearly one in three small business owners report that without digital tools they would close all or parts of their business. To help small businesses, we rolled out many new, free product features earlier this year, so that they can inform their customers about things like takeout, delivery, no-contact delivery, or curbside pickup. Today, people can now find this information on Search and Maps for more than 2 million restaurants and retailers in the U.S.

We’ve used Google’s Duplex technology to make calls to businesses and confirm things like temporary closures. This has enabled us to make 3 million updates to business information globally, which have been seen by people over 20 billion times in Search and Maps. 

To help people searching for jobs, we have stepped up to help in many ways. We added new relevant features in the U.S. like showing jobs that can be done remotely. Google Cloud has partnered with different states to help jobseekers: we assisted Rhode Island’s Virtual Career Center, a new platform that  connects thousands of jobseekers with jobs and employment services; worked with the State of Illinois to develop a 24/7 Virtual Intelligent Agent on the IDES website; developed a chatbot, in partnership with the New Jersey Office of Innovation to provide real-time answers to the 20 most popular unemployment questions. These are just some of the examples. 

We also transformed our free Grow with Google training to virtual formats and have already trained more than 1 million Americans on digital skills this year. The Google IT Support Professional Certificate—which takes beginner learners to entry-level jobs ready in under six months—has become the most popular certificate on Coursera during COVID-19.

Providing trusted information

Questions related to the pandemic are more searched than sports or music (and even elections) in every state. 

Top coronavirus related searches in the U.S. this month:

1. Coronavirus symptoms

2. Coronavirus update

3. Coronavirus vaccine

Across the U.S. people are searching on Google to stay informed and adapt. In 47 states, the top coronavirus-related question during the last six months has been “How many cases of coronavirus in [my state].” Search interest for “online courses” reached an all-time high in April this year, as did searches for “unemployment,”compared to search trends over the last 15 years. 

During this time, we’ve also seen people seek out information to help them navigate their daily lives. For example, since the pandemic began, searches for “curbside pickup” have increased 13-fold compared to this time last year, while searches for “contact tracing” spiked 1,000 percent  in April and then reached an all-time high in May. 

In March, we launched Search Knowledge Panels so when people search for information related to COVID-19, they immediately see local guidance, information about symptoms, prevention and treatments. We’ve committed $250 million in Ad Grants to help government agencies provide critical information related to COVID-19. As of today we’ve served more than 100 million PSAs from local public health agencies, which have been seen by tens of millions of people across the U.S.

We also launched the Journalism Emergency Relief Fund to provide emergency funding for small and medium sized news organizations covering the pandemic. To date, we’ve distributed $9 million to U.S. newsrooms across all 50 states. 

Helping people make safe choices 

To help people make informed decisions about where to go, the COVID layer in Google Maps shows critical information about new cases in an area and how they’re trending. As of this month, our COVID-19 Community Mobility Reports, which are used by public health agencies and researchers around the globe, have been downloaded more than 16 million times. 

In May, we partnered with Apple to launch the Exposure Notifications System (ENS) and made it available to public health authorities around the world in their fight against COVID-19. Designed specifically and carefully to protect users’ privacy while helping public health authorities and governments manage countries’ re-opening, today 13 states and U.S. territories have built apps based on this ENS technology.

In a short time, COVID-19 has changed how people live their lives. We’ll continue to update our products and roll out initiatives to help people and American businesses find trusted information, adapt and manage economic uncertainty.  

Many people have shaped my life—my parents who brought me into the world; Miss Moran, my fifth grade teacher, who pushed me to be a better student; my late mentor Bill McCarthy who helped guide my career early in my professional life. But perhaps the most meaningful people in my life are my husband, whom I have been with for nearly 30 years, and my son, who gives me more joy (and a fair amount of frustration) than I could have ever imagined. For them, I owe thanks in large part to a valiant handful of New Yorkers whom I've never met. Their act of defiance ultimately enabled me to live, love and be who I am.

It was early in the morning on Saturday, June 28, 1969, when the police raided the Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street, one of the few places at the time where LGBTQ people could gather openly. New Yorkers fought back. This altercation, known as the Stonewall Riots, led to angry protests that lasted for days and sparked the modern fight for LGBTQ rights around the world.

In 2016, President Obama designated Christopher Park, the small triangle of green that sits in front of the Stonewall Inn, as the first national monument dedicated to telling the story of this community’s struggle. The Stonewall National Monument serves as a reminder of the continuing fight for civil and human rights.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Stonewall. To recognize this pivotal moment in history, the LGBT Community Center of New York City (The Center) spearheaded the creation of Stonewall Forever, an interactive “living monument” to 50 years of Pride. Google provided support in the form of a $1.5 million grant from Google.org, and volunteers from Google Creative Lab helped bring the experience to life.

Stonewall Forever connects diverse voices from the Stonewall era to the millions of voices in today’s LGBTQ community. The monument is made up of countless colorful pieces that contain digitized historical artifacts, oral histories capturing the early days of the movement, interviews with new voices of LGBTQ equality, and photos and messages added by people around the world.

Anyone can visit Stonewall Forever on the web, and through an augmented reality app that allows you to experience the Stonewall National Monument in New York’s Christopher Park. Explore the past, present and future of Pride and then add your own piece to the ever-growing monument. You can dive deeper by watching a short documentary, directed by Ro Haber, featuring an inclusive array of activists, from across generations, each giving their own interpretation of the Stonewall legacy.

Beyond our support of Stonewall Forever, we’re launching Pride Forever, a campaign honoring the past, present, and future of the LGBTQ+ community. This theme is rooted in sharing the past 50 years of global LGBTQ+ history with our users. Today’s interactive Google Doodle celebrates 50 years of Pride by taking us through its evolution over the decades, with animated illustrations by Doodler Nate Swinehart.  

Google Arts & Culture is also preserving even more archives and stories from LGBTQ history, in partnership with The Center,GLBT Historical Society of San Francisco, the National Park Service’s Stonewall Monument, and Cyark. The collection includes never-before-seen photos and videos, 3D models of the Stonewall monuments, and a virtual walking tour of LGBTQ sites in the Village.

Here are a few other ways we’re helping people celebrate Pride.

• Like past years, we’ll identify major Pride parade routes on Google Maps.
• Later this month, check out Google Play for apps, movies, books, and audiobooks to help the LGBTQ+ community share stories and also learn more about the history of LGBTQ+ rights.
• And through Google My Business, business owners can mark their businesses as “LGBTQ-friendly” and as a “Transgender Safe Space” on their Google listing to let customers know they’re always welcome. As of today, more than 190,000 businesses have enabled these attributes on their business listing.

Today, Stonewall lives on in images, histories and monuments—old and new. It also lives on in the LGBTQ community and its supporters. The past paves the way for the future, and Stonewall Forever reminds us that alone we’re strong, but together we’re unstoppable. Pride is forever.