Students Start Nonprofit to Help Vulnerable Individuals During Quarantine

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.

An app called Homeis was originally designed to be a social network for immigrant groups in the U.S., but during the coronavirus pandemic it has turned into a lifeline for many undocumented people whose fears of deportation are compounded by the virus. Community managers on the app (some paid, some volunteer) now field questions from hundreds of thousands of immigrants about getting tested, how much power ICE has in hospital settings, the risk of getting infected in detention, and other coronavirus questions. The app is now a source of advice, support, and community during the COVID-19 crisis.

A village in Germany has implemented a local hotline for at-risk community members to use if they need help obtaining essentials during the coronavirus pandemic. The group of volunteers managing the hotline work under the guidance of a doctor to make sure they're reducing risk to themselves and those they're serving.

Two women living on the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming helped to provide mutual aid when they saw many families in the area facing difficulties during the onset of the pandemic. The pair set up a fundraising page and a Google form to raise funds and track peoples' needs and started distributing goods like groceries, diapers, and hand sanitizers to over 300 families on the reservation.

A collective of activists and anti-fascists named PopMob has transitioned from protesting right-wingers to producing hand sanitizer. They are working in collaboration with another group called The Rosehip Medic Collective and have produced more than 9,500 bottles (225 gallons) of homemade hand sanitizer. They work with groups like Sisters of the Road, Meals on Wheels, and Portland People’s Outreach Project to distribute the bottles to frontline workers and people experiencing homelessness. They also have a GoFundMe page that has raised over $9,000 to support their efforts.

The quarantines and shelter-in-place orders that many cities in the United States are enacting today to combat the coronavirus pandemic can be compared to similar tactics taken in 1918 to stop the spread of influenza pandemic. However, with modern-day technology, churches in particular are finding that they are better able to safely reach their members through the use of video conferencing rather than door-to-door visits. For a Los Angeles church, this is part of a comprehensive approach that aims to abide by social distancing requirements while still helping those in need.

A new initiative called #Task4Help recruits local university students to deliver groceries and other supplies to people who need to be self-isolated during COVID-19. It was originally started by an app called UniTaskr that posted freelance opportunities for students, but now it has over 10,000 students using the app to help out. One user describes the service as easy to use and delightful.

Aging seniors in rural Maine are high risk for COVID-19, so a musher and her team of dogs are set on delivering groceries to those who need it—by sled. Hannah Lucas, a resident of Caribou and an employee of the local convenience store, uses her skill set and team of Siberian huskies to deliver groceries from her place of work so people wouldn't have to leave their house. She aims for 4-6 deliveries a day and is booking days in advance.

Social distancing has negatively affected homeless shelters, because the volunteers who prepare the meals aren't considered essential employees. The city of Cambridge pledged to pay local restaurants to provide bagged or boxed meals for lunch and dinner at shelters for as long as social distancing guidelines remain in place. This also helps restaurants who are struggling without customers. The operation started in March of 2020 and has since distributed 1,800 meals to eight homeless shelters and meal programs. Other cities like Detroit and Portland are following their lead.

Social distancing rules are proving to be especially difficult to maintain for people whose family member is dying of the virus. Chaplains in Chicago are finding ways to help families to be with their loved ones in times of illness and so that no patient has to die alone. Chaplains will talk to the patient on the phone, broadcast family members' voices over the rooms' intercoms, and hand nurses prayer cards to give to the patient when they enter the room. The chaplains also work to alleviate the stress of the healthcare workers by praying over specific concerns and wishes that the nurses have.