Sip and Ship Deemed "An Essential Business"

Diana Naramore • March 26, 2020

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Two people smiling indoors, standing in front of colorful artwork displays.
Five people indoors, smiling and wearing colorful leis, with one standing on a ladder in the center
Two people smiling in aprons and floral leis, posing in front of cubby shelves in a workspace

All of our lives have been completely uprooted by the COVID-19 causing us to reorganize, reprioritize and reapproach how we do things. We are saddened by all of the small businesses that have been forced to close their doors and rest our hope that this is only temporary. Our hope is to support them in any way possible and to help them restore and recover soon.
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As we continue to provide our community with essential business services, Sip and Ship has been witness to many positive stories and events inspired by this uncertain time. Here are some bright spots from our frontlines:

  • Mailing children's artwork to quarantined grandparents in New York,
  • Shipping wedding wishes and virtual toasts to couples all over the country whose weddings had to be canceled,
  • Packaging and mailing homemade treats, books, and activity kits to families with young children at home,
  • Ensuring prescriptions and medical equipment get to loved ones who have been caught in the midst of travel delays, lockdowns, and shutdowns in other parts of the world,
  • Mailing supplies to remote workers to keep businesses in operation,
  • Shipping school supplies to homes to enable distance learning,
  • Notarizing documents such as I-9's for remote workers to stay employed, last will and testaments for families with loved ones in hospice care, and military personnel preparing for deployment to Navy hospital ships,
  • Faxing and mailing unemployment paperwork for a growing number of displaced workers.

The Sip and Ship team is encouraged and hopeful by keeping you connected with your family, neighbors, and business partners. This feeds our purpose and helps us build resilience for the community we share and support. Your safety and the safety of our team is paramount. While remaining open to serve your mailing, packages, notary and business needs, our frontline service teams are doing everything humanly possible to remain safe and to keep you safe by: keeping all surfaces and service counters and equipment sanitized, encouraging you to use our hand sanitizing stations, and enforcing safe social distancing. We have temporarily eliminated all printed receipts for prepaid drop-off packages and shipping services, allowing you to take a picture of the label before dropping off the box. We are happy to provide you with an e-receipt via email.
Until further notice, our operating hours are Monday-Friday 10am-6pm, Saturday 10am-5pm, and CLOSED Sundays . The Ballard Sip and Ship cafe will remain open for to-go orders from 10am-4pm Monday-Saturday .
We are here for you and appreciate the opportunity to be of service to you during this time. Please keep a safe distance from everyone when venturing out and know that we all will get through this.
Thank you for your trust and kindness,
Diana, Steve, and Your Sip and Ship Team
Passport, signed document, pen, and coffee cup on a desk
Gift box wrapped in cream satin ribbon with a tag on a pale wooden surface
Hands holding a white mug beside a smartphone on a white table

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