How to Support Your Community During Coronavirus

As we all know, the Coronavirus has touched down in the United States and over half the country is in a shelter in place order. With so much going on, with new developments every hour, and with all the fear for our own safety and wellbeing, it may be difficult to think about looking outside our homes and supporting our own communities. If you have the time, energy, and headspace to continue supporting your neighbors and local businesses, here’s what you can do.

1. Check on your neighbors. If you live near those that may be within the at-risk demographic, send them a text or stop by (at a 6-foot distance). Offer to help them with their groceries, pick up medication from the pharmacy, or just see how they’re doing. A lot of people are experiencing COVID-19 in their own ways, do what you can to support one another. We’re all in this together. And, if someone in your neighborhood happens to get sick, it will be good to have established connections before things get bad.
2. Order take out, or order in. Restaurants are suffering from very few customers as in-house service has been banned during this shelter in place — but you can still support them! Call your favorite local restaurant directly to order a meal, or sign up with GrubHub, UberEats, or Yelp to see which restaurants support delivery and takeout. Many businesses are also accepting a “pay ahead” method, so you can buy a gift card that you can use once they reopen.
3. If you can contribute canned and dry goods to your local food pantry, now is the time. According to the Washington Post, over 6.6 million Americans have applied for unemployment since March 28th. Share what you have with those who have been laid off or furloughed.
4. Donate blood, plasma, and platelets. These critical donations are down and hospitals are looking for more donors, so if you’re eligible, consider helping out!
5. Sew masks for yourself, for essential workers, and for hospitals to use as a last resort. Some stores are offering mask-making materials for free — pick some up, dust off your rudimentary sewing skills, and get to work!
6. If you can, continue to pay folks who normally perform services for you. Your hairdresser, tailor, manicurist, housekeeper, and gardener have almost certainly lost a lot of business and a lot of income if their businesses have had to be closed. If you can afford it, send them a check that’ll brighten their day — or maybe even help them stay afloat.
7. Support artists & performers. Musicians, actors, and other artists have had to cancel concerts, performances, and gallery showings. Many of them are offering their artwork for free or for a small price on live streaming sites or their social media pages. If someone’s music, poetry, or artwork is helping you make it through, consider donating to help them keep making that art that means so much to you.
8. Celebrate quarantine heroes! Organize your neighborhood via NextDoor, Facebook, or another social media platform to put up posters or create another display of gratitude for doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers that are putting themselves at risk to keep us safe. Check out how NYC has made their quarantine heroes feel loved and supported.
9. Drop off baked goodies or another treat for your local grocery store staff. These individuals are keeping our society up and running at the risk of their own health and safety, and they would probably appreciate a little show of gratitude. Have your kids decorate cards, or bake something as a family and have someone drop off the individually wrapped treats.
10. And last but not least, stay home. COVID-19 is spread by droplets in coughs and sneezes. There are asymptomatic carriers, so even if you don’t feel sick, stay inside. If you’re not an essential worker, staying home is the best and most effective action you can do for your community, family, friends, and the future of our world.

Remember, we’re all in this together.