As you probably know, small businesses are really suffering during this coronavirus shutdown. Even in the best of times, running a small business is a challenge. The margins are small and the hours are long. It's not the easiest way to make a living. You do it because it's just who you are and you can't imagine life as anything other than being the owner of a shop or a restaurant.

If you're one of the lucky people whose life hasn't been entirely flipped upside down by the Covid-19 outbreak, please consider supporting our temporarily shuttered businesses with the purchase of a gift certificate that you can use when they're able to open their doors again. Look for the "Gift Certificates" button in each business profile.

Browse Gift Card Options

Don't see your favorite business listed in our Gift Card Directory? Contact them and ask. They'll be glad to hear from you.

Trader Joe's in Downtown Old Monterey has established exclusive shopping hours every day, 8am-9am, for local residents most vulnerable to the novel coronavirus such as senior citizens and those with compromised immune systems.

Trader Joe's asks all customers to respect these special hours and reserve this shopping time for those most at risk in our community. The store is located at 570 Munras Avenue.

The novel coronavirus has taken a very serious and unexpected toll on our community. While families struggle to adapt and prepare for what may lie ahead, Troia Foods, a dairy and fine food distributor based in New Monterey, sensed a need to shift our distribution focus to supporting our neighbors directly.

We want to be a reliable outlet for the most important, essential household needs we can supply reliably, affordably, and efficiently to the people of Monterey and surrounding areas. To that end, Troia Foods will begin accepting small, consumer orders to support the most essential household needs for dairy, pantry, and household items. As always, quality and freshness will be paramount.

Each week we will have a Pantry Essentials Kit available for pick up. Products may vary from week to week - you can view the contents of each week's bag on our website. Please place your order online here and select your pick up time at checkout. All orders must be prepaid. The pick up location is 801 Foam Street in Monterey. When picking up, please give us your confirmation number and last name. Then just pop open your trunk and we will place the bag inside.

In compliance with CDC regulations, we are using gloves and masks to handle and bag the products for each kit. If you have any questions, please feel free to send us a message.

Rocket Fizz in Downtown Campbell is now open from Noon to 5pm daily for curbside pick-up of ready-to-go candy boxes for all off your Easter-in-Place needs.

Choose from:

• Ultimate Easter Box - $99
• Easter Box 1 - $30
• Easter Box 2 - $30
• Retro Candy and Soda Box - $30
• Euro Chocolates Box - $30

If you have any special requests let us know, we will do our best to get you what you want. Times are difficult, but the Rocket Fizz Campbell staff is doing our best to bring a little cheer to the Home Fronts while we give the Medical Community the time they need to figure this out.

Please call us at 408-370-1510 to place your order and arrange for curbside pick-up with proper social distancing.

Monterey Holistic Health, a CBD-only retail shop designated as an essential business during the shelter-in-place order, is now open daily, 11am-6pm. For once, we can say there is plenty of parking available! We're located at 623 Lighthouse Avenue in Monterey.

Monterey Holistic Health is a small, locally-owned business that's here to educate people about CBD and our products. We carry full spectrum CBD and hemp-derived products for you and your dog or cat including lotions, creams, tinctures, and edibles (including dog treats). We also carry our own line of CBD flower and CBD pre-rolls.

Are you running out of good pulp (as in books, not toilet paper) during this shelter-in-place? Recycle Bookstore can help (with the books, not the toilet paper). A couple of times a day, Stacy goes to check up on the bookstore and feed Max the kitty. You can place an order for a new bestseller that's in stock or you can inquire about a title that you're looking for and she'll grab a copy for you while she's there and mail it to you.

Below is a partial list of current best sellers that are in stock. Gift certificates are also available in any amount. Shipping for all orders is $4.50 flat regardless of how many books you order.

If you'd like to get some books shipped to you, just email your wish list to recyclebookstores@gmail.com and Stacy will get back to you and work out payment for the books.

Kids' Bestsellers:

• Dog Man
• Harry Potter Series
• Peppa's Egg-citing Easter
• Phoebe and her Unicorn
• Magic Tree House
• Wings of Fire

Adult Bestsellers:

• Daisy Jones and the Six
• A Gentleman in Moscow
• Little Fires Everywhere
• Little Women
• The Story of a New Name: My Brilliant Friend Book 2
• The Witcher Series

I Will Repair, located at 474 Tyler Street in Old Monterey, is OPEN during the Shelter in Place order. I have transitioned my business model to include service and support for those who are forced to work from home. This also allows me to continue helping my community with their tech problems.

My schedule is varied so I ask that you call ahead, 831-290-8180, before visiting the shop as I may be out doing pick-ups and drop-offs for those customers who prefer not to leave their homes. I am offering a 10% discount on your first repair or service with I Will Repair.

I also continue to perform my duties as a UPS Access Point to provide my community with a safe and secure location where their packages will be held for up to 8 days. I look forward to helping where I can in these troubled times.

Steve Willey
Owner, I Will Repair, Monterey

Union Yoga is now offering daily streaming classes on Zoom! When you look at the schedule on our website, you'll find a sweet surprise. No longer are we bound by our teachers' proximity to the studio - both Annie Petersen and Jenn DiMeiro will be rejoining the studio staff! We have missed them SO much.

All classes will be offered via Zoom. To take a class, you must register at least one hour in advance of the start time on our website. This allows us to send everyone the Zoom link that is unique to your class. View our current rates here.

To join a class, you'll need to download the Zoom app onto your device. (You do not need to sign up for an account to attend a class, you just need the app.) Your current class package or Union Yoga Membership will apply. You will need to purchase your class before you sign up.

Approximately 45 minutes before the start of class, you will receive an email from FitGrid which will include the Zoom link. Your teacher may also add extra instructions. Please confirm that your email address in your MindBody/Union Yoga account is correct and you're o.k. to receive communications or you will not receive the class link. (If you do not receive the link, check your junk mail folder.)

Log in a few minutes before class and the teacher will start the session, linking everyone to the class. Keep in mind that the teacher has invited you into his/her home to practice and to have fun as a group. Please dress appropriately for a group class or keep your camera off. Dogs and cats are welcome to join!

Additional classes will be added in the coming days. As always, the class schedule is posted on Instagram Story each evening. If you have kids, Marybeth is teaching a Kids yoga class every weekday morning - find her on Instagram at @maybemurray.

We will also continue offering occasional Instagram Live classes. Vimeo meditation, flow, yin and therapeutics, trauma and addiction recovery focused classes will be arriving soon and available for members to access on demand.

This is, of course, a time where we really are forced to be with the present moment. What will get us through this is a practice of wellness and an intention to stay clear, agile, and kind.

Just because there's a pandemic happening doesn't mean you can't eat well. Many of Downtown Old Monterey's restaurants are open exclusively for take-out and delivery orders. To help you find which restaurants are still running, we've set up the Old Monterey Shelter-in-Place Dining Guide, which lists restaurants offering pick-up or delivery during Monterey County's shelter-in-place order.

At our Dining Guide, you'll also find operating hours, menus, contact information, and links to delivery services. Please note that most restaurants are open limited hours and those may change without notice.

Please remember to respect the safety of everyone who's working in Old Monterey to allow you to Shelter in Style. Follow the directions of the restaurant crews on how to pay and get your food. Maintain the recommended six feet of distance from them and other customers at all times, and if you are sick absolutely do not leave your home. (Many delivery services now offer no-contact home delivery, which is great if you're not feeling well.)

Thank you for your understanding. Please stay healthy, support local businesses if you can, and enjoy some of Old Monterey's amazing food, perfect for lifting your spirits.