Detroit's virtual wine & cheese classes feed hunger for connection

The Special Olympics turned 50 in 2020, but the pandemic has put a damper on their original birthday plans. People with intellectual and physical differences who participate rely on the games for social connection, so many are suffering from the social quarantine. To make up for it, the Special Olympics has moved online—creating an online fitness video series with the WWE. The program, called School of Strength, features exercises and even downloadable interactive toolkits for coaches and caregivers. After initial hurdles, they are now going live twice a week and posting new content daily.

Many people are motivated to help out during the pandemic, but without proper hygiene tactics, helping could just be harmful. A group started by medical students in the Netherlands called StudentsAgainstCorona rallies volunteers to contribute in a way that focuses on hygienic above all else. Different "hubs" of the organization have popped up all over the world, and the ratio of volunteers to those requesting help is about 10:1. Students are performing duties like picking up groceries or delivering medicine, and all of them practice strict hygiene rules to prevent the spread.

Despite coronavirus restrictions shifting to allow churches to reopen, across the U.S. many religious institutions are continuing their digital video conferencing options as a means of reaching a wider audience. The use of video streaming church services has eliminated the geographical constraints for many, but it has also introduced "challenging questions about what it means to be a church where some people can’t take part in defining activities."

Tampa Bay Area performing artists are finding ways to adapt their practices to abide by the social distancing guidelines brought on by COVID-19. Creatives are learning how to stream their performances online, discovering new computer skills and software, and hosting Instagram livestreams. Not all artists have the financial luxury to only work on their art, but some of these coronavirus efforts also raise a little support through "tip jars." Everyone is eager to return to "normalcy," but these artists are happy with how they are meeting the moment.

United We Stream (UWS) is a Berlin-based collaboration of nightlife businesses aiming to keep their businesses and club culture alive – and keep people entertained – during mandated closures because of COVID-19. With nightlife being hit hard by long-term closures, the collaboration offers live-stream DJ sets and asks for donations for participating businesses, with the hope that after the pandemic subsides, Europe’s club culture will survive.

Hosting business meetings over Zoom is nothing new during the coronavirus pandemic, but performing artists are also using the platform and adapting their work to the videoconferencing software. After initial performances were a success, an LA theater company called Theater Unleashed began experimenting with the platform and created a Facebook group for U.S. playwrights and actors who wish to participate. An Atlanta organization called Center for Puppetry Arts started hosting Zoom puppet shows. It isn't a seamless transition, but it is inviting creative adaption from creatives all across the country.

As part of the coronavirus lockdown in Zimbabwe, people were banned from visiting prisons, but a mobile app has allowed relatives to send supplies to those who are incarcerated via their cellphone. This newest initiative in the succession to reform the prison system uses mobile money to send supplemental goods from the prison’s tuck shop to relatives who are incarcerated.

Many Montana musicians are holding virtual streaming events to deal with the financial and psychological impact of canceled music events due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Early events were well attended, with up to 100 people, and brought in more money than they would have earned playing at local bars. Interest has slowed down over time, but many musicians want to keep streaming events after the pandemic as another tool to engage audiences now that they have embraced digital delivery. The virtual events allow musicians to experiment and be creative, but most are excited to return to the energy of live shows.

The restrictions imposed by the coronavirus have turned horseracing in Nebraska into an unexpected boon. City officials allowed racing tracks to be open—with precautions—because the horses' livelihoods depend on the jockeys' livelihoods. The grandstands are empty, masks are worn, and temperatures are taken regularly. People from all over the country are betting on the horses online, providing some income, albeit less money than usual. They are also enjoying the increase interest as a way to educate people on Nebraska's history with horse racing.

An Islamic organization called Downtown Denver’s Islamic Center is helping members of their community adjust to the quarantine and maintain their spiritual practice. All services and counseling has been moved online, and their preexisting food assistance program is still going on, albeit adjusted to accommodate for the shortage of volunteers during the quarantine. They even have many one-on-one phone calls with people to work through specific issues. It's not perfect, and they still want to do more, but for now they are serving a great spiritual and communal need.