How to Help: the COVID-19 Pandemic

• Donate blood. As many blood drives are canceled due to social distancing measures, the American Red Cross and other organizations face a shrinking blood supply. Find a blood donation center near you or donate blood through the Red Cross. 
• Forego elective medical procedures. If you have a scheduled medical procedure, it’s recommended by the Coronavirus Task Force that you forego it for the time being to free up medical resources. Of course, always follow the advice of your physician.
• Support healthcare workers in your community. If you know a doctor, nurse, or other healthcare worker in your community or neighborhood, offer to help as COVID-19 spreads. This could be something as simple as picking up groceries for them, offering to babysit in accordance with recommended social distancing measures, or offering to tutor their children virtually.
• Donate directly to hospitals and medical nonprofits. Organizations like Direct Relief are providing personal protective equipment and essential medical items to healthcare workers responding to COVID-19.
• Sew masks for healthcare providers. As hospitals report shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE), you can sew masks for healthcare providers with this guide. Organizations like @Masks4Medicine, a group of New York City doctors working to protect frontline providers, are collecting and distributing masks. According to their instagram, many individual healthcare providers have expressed interest in using a cloth mask to cover their N95 mask in order to prolong its use. Here is a list of facilities currently receiving masks.

• Donate to a food bank. Feeding America, a nationwide network of food banks, started a COVID-19 Response Fund to benefit those lacking food during this time. Many local and regional food banks have similar emergency funds. Find a local food bank here. Remember, monetary donations go farther per dollar than physical food donations.
• Donate to cover school meals. Programs like No Kid Hungry, Little Free Pantry and Blessings in a Backpack provide meals to students who typically receive lunch at school. 

• Buy a giftcard. You’ve probably already heard this one- buy a giftcard from your favorite restaurant now, and use it once the pandemic is over. This is a great way to help local businesses. Buy giftcards online to maintain social distancing.
• Contribute to a fund dedicated to service industry workers. Here are a few options, including the Restaurant Worker’s Community Foundation’s COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund. 
• Ask your local and state representatives to support small businesses. The US Small Business Administration is now offering loans to small businesses whose operations are affected by coronavirus. By contacting your representatives, you can ensure that small and local businesses will continue to be supported in the coming months. Find your representatives and their contact information here.

• Sign this ACLU petition to President Trump and all state governors calling them to follow the advice of public health professionals by releasing vulnerable prison and jail populations.
• Look up what measures your state and city have taken to lessen the spread of COVID-19. Consider writing to local officials urging them to take measures like those mentioned above. The Justice Collaborative has a web page documenting the measures criminal legal agencies have taken across the country and includes different form letters to write to President Trump, governors, prosecutors, sheriffs, and county commissioners/city council members.
• Contact or look up the social media accounts of local advocacy groups. Local advocacy groups are oftentimes those with the best sense of actions that have already been taken, aid that is needed, and which local representatives are best to contact. See if any of them have taken COVID-19 related action. They may have recommendations of who you can contact or how you can donate. For example, the Northwestern Prison Education Program is taking monetary donations so they can deliver cleaning supplies to individuals incarcerated at Stateville Prison in Illinois.

By Emma Stapleton

• Don’t visit elderly family members or friends. This goes without saying- but if you have a loved one who is at a higher risk for contracting coronavirus, social distancing is the best way to help them right now.
• Check in on elderly neighbors. If you have an elderly neighbor or acquaintance, see if there’s any way that you can help them right now. Even picking up fresh groceries and leaving them on the front step or grabbing the newspaper can go a long way. 
• Stay in contact. Call your grandparents, your neighbor- anyone who isn’t getting a lot of visitors right now.

• Continue giving. While nonprofits face an uncertain future amidst troubling economic conditions, the best way to support nonprofits is to continue giving as you normally would. While you can’t physically volunteer, monetary donations allow nonprofits to cover their base costs. This New York Times article lists nonprofits that are involved in the COVID-19 response by sector.
• Contact your local nonprofits. If there’s a community nonprofit that you typically volunteer at, call or email their offices to see the best way to support them right now. 
• Contribute to a local community fund. Find a list of community relief funds here.