Hey everyone! Our team at Novel Hand took a break over the past week. On Monday, we received an email saying that we would be having virtual classes through the end of March due to COVID-10 concerns. On Wednesday, we received an email telling those of us that live on campus that we would need to move out by March 15, and that classes will be online for the rest of the semester. In light of these changes, our team took time to transition. I know that all of us, and especially students, are experiencing major lifestyle changes right now.
In light of the practice of social distancing and encouragement to stay at home for the foreseeable future, we want to provide some ways for you to continue learning about humanitarian and social issues. While activities like volunteering aren’t advised right now, there are other ways that you can help others. Each week, a member of our team will share our top ways to engage with humanitarian issues even during these unprecedented times.
Stay at home
If you’re reading this post, you’ve probably already heard this dozens of times. The single best thing that you can do right now to help others is to stay at home. No matter where you are, there is risk of community spread. Our generation is less susceptible to become severely or critically ill from coronavirus, and likely won’t have symptoms even if we do contract the virus. However, we still have a social responsibility to stay home to avoid contracting and spreading the virus.
Watch Living on One Dollar
This documentary from 2013 follows four college friends as they attempt to live in rural Guatemala with $1 a day for two months. I actually lived with a host family while taking a class in rural Guatemala near where this documentary was filmed. While extreme poverty is a daily reality for many people in the western highlands of Guatemala, it’s a beautiful and resilient area. Watch Living on One Dollar for free on YouTube here.
Read 80,000 Hours
A few weeks ago I shared the books that I’m currently reading, including 80,000 Hours. This book gives advice and guidance to finding a fulfilling career with the largest social impact. Eighty-thousand hours is part of the Effective Altruism movement, a thought-provoking project that’s worth learning more about. The best part: you can get a free digital copy of 80,000 hours by signing up for the 80,000 hours newsletter, so there’s no need to get it from your local library, which probably isn’t open anyway.
Donate to a food bank
While you or your family may be preparing for several weeks of staying at home by buying food in bulk, many Americans lack the resources to prepare in the same way. You can support people in a more vulnerable situation by donating to a food bank. While donating food is helpful, you can make the largest impact by donating money directly to food banks. Organizations like Feeding America and Second Harvest can turn one dollar into more meals through their existing partnerships with manufacturers, retailers, and farmers. Plus, donating from home means that you can practice social distancing by avoiding crowded supermarkets and grocery stores.
Learn more about COVID-19
As the situation changes drastically in America and around the world, it’s important to stay up to date on the latest news and health recommendations. National media can provide an overview of the situation. However, I think that health organizations like the CDC and local news outlets give a better picture of the COVID-19 threat in your area and state.
Novel Hand will resume our regular posts and coverage this week, so check back for more posts later this week. We first reported on coronavirus two weeks ago, and we’ll continue to use this platform to do so. We’ll have another “Five things” post next Monday!
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