How to Help Others Throughout the Coronavirus Crisis

Over 1 million deaths worldwide and counting. Lasting health issues for many who have recovered. An estimated 100,000 small businesses closed forever. Countless workers laid off and furloughed with unemployment rates peaking at their highest level since the Great Depression of the 1930s. Many forced to work outside their home and put their health at risk to provide for themselves. Industries, institutions, and organizations everywhere hurting. Healthcare and economic disparities by race and class worsening. Shortages of food and supplies growing. Waste from gloves, masks, and cleaning supplies increasing. PPE for medical professionals dwindling. Systems, from supply chain to education, broken or crumbling.

The challenges we have faced throughout the coronavirus pandemic seem unending and insurmountable. But, there are many exposure-free ways we can help:

1. Make donations to hospitals and purchase items off their wish lists. Order carry-out meals and have them delivered to doctors and nurses on call.
2. Sew face masks for others. Donate PPE to hospitals, emergency services, and medical offices.
3. Fight hunger by donating online to Feeding America or food banks in your community.
4. Give to organizations that provide goods and services to the poor and homeless.
5. Support local businesses, bookstores, and restaurants. Many small businesses and little shops allow purchases to be made online or over the phone for curbside pick-up. Order take-out and delivery from your favorite local eateries. And don’t forget you can also buy gift cards from these establishments to be used at a later date.
6. Give extra tips to restaurant staff and delivery drivers.
7. Shop at your neighborhood farmers markets. Many local growers and small merchants are allowing curbside grab-and-go or providing delivery. Some have even gone digital, creating apps for ordering or accepting pre-orders online for pick-up.
8. Galleries. Museums. Conservatories. Countless institutions and organizations bring life to our cities through art, history, and nature preservation. Now their shows, exhibits, and events have been cancelled; budgets have been slashed; employees have been furloughed; and new protocols have been put in place to keep everyone safe. These challenges and changes have put a significant strain on our local gems. Become a member or make a donation. Attend virtual experiences. Sign up for online programs and classes. Donate to arts organizations or nonprofits that provide support, grants, and loans to places in your region. Purchase gift shop items. For places that have re-opened, check out shows and exhibits with a reserved time slot, following all strict health guidelines, wearing a mask, and social distancing.
9. Small theatres have gone dark and live music houses sit quiet. There are countless musicians, actors, dancers, creatives, and crew members from stages and venues all over who are out of work and/or struggling. Donate to regional arts organizations and non-profits that keep the arts alive. Write your Congressional representatives and vocalize your support for Save Our Stages and the RESTART Act to extend PUA and FPUC. Attend virtual shows, as well as masked and socially distanced outdoor performances. Purchase merch and memberships. Donate to the Actors Fund, the Crew Nation Fund, and Americans for the Arts.
10. If you don’t have the ability to support places financially, promote them on social media or post good reviews on the interwebs.
11. Purchase groceries for the elderly and the immuno-compromised.
12. Give blood. And, if you have recovered from Covid-19, donate plasma to patients and research studies.
13. Buy school supplies for students in need. Support teacher GoFundMe pages. Become an online tutor or mentor for kids.
14. Our parks are always in desperate need of funding to repair and maintain infrastructure. With the influx of visitors looking for some outdoor, socially-distanced fun, our parks need help now more than ever. Donate to your local, state, and national parks. Participate in masked and socially distanced clean-up projects.
15. Report misinformation on social media. Share scientifically accurate research and fact-based articles about the virus and pandemic.
16. Contribute what you can to your local independent, free press.
17. When you go out: wear a mask, socially distance, be polite, wash your hands and use hand sanitizer, be patient, follow the rules, and be kind to workers and everyone around you.
18. Make thank you cards and buy treats for emergency responders and hospital janitorial staff, as well as postal workers and garbage and sanitation crews.
19. Donate to your favorite charities.
20. Try to reduce your waste. Recycle more. Start a compost bin. Build a vegetable garden. Go for a walk and clean up your local neighborhood.
21. Volunteer as a crisis counselor for a mental health helpline.
22. Send surprises and/or handwritten letters to friends and family in the mail.