5 Ways to Help Your Community From Home During the Coronavirus Pandemic
The coronavirus has officially hit every state in our country and like many of us, we’re all looking for ways to help flatten the curve, stop the spread, and do something good for someone else in this desperate time of need.
And while there are many organizations to donate money to, give blood, and many food banks that can use volunteers, we thought it would also be helpful to come up with a few ways you can help from your home if you’re staying bunkered up during this time. ❤️
On a side note, be sure to also check out this post sharing acts of kindness that are keeping spirits up during the coronavirus chaos.
IMPORTANT!
Before I jump into the ways you can help without leaving your house, please remember that the best and most effective way that we can all help is to follow the guidelines provided by the CDC. By religiously practicing these guidelines every day, we will help slow the spread of the virus and help stop the spread within our human population.
Here are a few ways you can help your community and others during the COVID-19 crisis:
1. Make meals for neighbors.
Whether you know someone who was recently laid off, just had a baby, is elderly, or you just want to be a good neighbor, making some meals for others can be a huge help. If you have the extra food available, this will not only help with the task of cooking but it could even help encourage people to stay home. Every meal counts!
In a time of social distancing, make sure to discuss with neighbors, friends, and family before bringing over meals. If they’d rather keep the space or not take the risk, you’ll want to know this before spending time meal prepping.
Hip Tip: Need some meal ideas? Check out our latest and delicious recipes from dinners to desserts, we’ve got it all! Plus, we have ideas on meal prepping so you can get your neighbors and yourself stocked up.
Know someone that only eats keto? They’ll be in for an incredible treat when you whip up one of our delicious keto recipes from our sister site, Hip2Keto!
2. Order gift cards or online merchandise from your favorite small shops.
Living in a city where there are many amazing small shops and family-owned businesses, it’s been absolutely heartbreaking to see their doors shut for an unknown period of time. And while none of us can enjoy physically shopping in their stores right now, you can most likely still buy gift cards on their websites and save for a later date or some are even still shipping merchandise.
Gift cards can either be spent when stores are able to reopen or save them for gifting come Christmas time or for a friend’s upcoming birthday. Either way, if we’re making these efforts together it could help stores stay afloat and keep their employees employed.
3. Support your favorite local eateries.
We already know that one of largest industries being affected right now is the restaurant industry and while every state, county, and town is changing week to week and even day-to-day with new rules and regulations, many restaurants, coffee shops, breweries, and even liquor stores are still offering curbside take out or delivering for as long as they’re allowed.
Even food delivery apps like DoorDash, GrubHub, Postmates, and Uber Eats (I’ve tried them all) are making it easier to support local businesses by offering a no-contact delivery upon request so you can have food delivered to a safe spot right outside your door. Go here for more details.
Hip Tip: These larger chain restaurants are currently offering free delivery during the coronavirus pandemic.
Here’s a list of every business that is currently closed until further notice.
4. Facetime a friend.
Don’t forget that during this time, it’s not just businesses that need our support – but also some of the people closest to us. Uplifting loved ones during this time of isolation is just as important so as an idea, you can use FaceTime for more than just catching up and do other things together that you might be missing from your once normal lifestyle.
Consider doing a workout together, making a favorite recipe in your kitchens (and eating it together), or since many families are faced with the task of homeschooling, you could even get the kids on FaceTime and do school work together.
Did you know that you can FaceTime up to 32 people at once?! You could essentially get the entire classroom together if you wanted to! And if you don’t have FaceTime? Here are some other free ideas to stay connected if you’re helping flatten the curve with social distancing.
Hip Tip: To make life easy when FaceTiming and doing activities together, I love using this phone tripod so I can talk and do things, completely hands-free!
5. Write letters to residents in nursing homes.
Most nursing homes have gone into full lockdown mode which can exacerbate loneliness and confusion for elderly residents at nursing homes and assisted living facilities. So whether you have a family member in a nursing home or not, writing a letter to them during this difficult time can have a greater impact than you may think.
Before writing a letter, make sure to double-check with your local facilities to make sure that they’re accepting letters and see if there are any patients that would greatly appreciate such a nice surprise in the mail if you don’t already have someone in mind.
Hip Tip: Not into writing letters? You can also look into remote companies such as Alone, which offer companionship to older people who would like extra social contact through a weekly telephone call. Volunteer visits are typically also an option, however, they’re currently suspended given the circumstances.
Check out our top tips for making money.
The best way to help your community is to stay home and practice social distancing.
Amen, sister!
Oh goodness, ladies….sounds like blah, blah, blah at this point. Understand DEPRESSION is a serious illness in itself. This list is *great* at addressing those important needs, while *physically* distancing. But cut the seclusion talk out, some folks need those connections, truly. But then again, not all have seen the devastating affects of seclusion for some that sadly, results in them taking their own lives and not a virus.
Just be aware this virus is living on surfaces for days. I’d avoid taking anything anywhere. The hospital is telling us 6-7 on hard surfaces. 2-3 on other surfaces.
I am concerned about ordering gift cards now in case that place goes out of business
I see a lot of places doing promos now to generate cash flow though.
Other big ways to help are donating requested items by hospitals (masks, wioes) if you have any extra. And there is a big movement nation wide
to sew homemade masks because of the shortage.
I ordered post cards from Amazon (not a fan because I love speaking with people) but got out of my comfort zone. I sent encouraging post cards to my friends and family from my Christmas Card list. I will do this again and send to Pastors, school teachers and parents. I think everyone needs to know that we will get through this. I have been writing letters and sending cards for a long time….thinking of starting a ministry of sending cards.
My kids have been sending “happy mail” to their cousins, grandparents, etc.
Good intentions unfortunately, the virus stays on paper and mail. Best not to send things.
Love that idea Abby! What a beautiful gesture and excellent idea.
Not sure I would recommend taking a meal to a neighbor. Little risky IMO.
Bring on the risk! Sorry, but single parents, low income, hey even average America without savings in place are struggling. The sorry white bread processed meat whatever it was ham or bolonga, apple and Hug type sugar drink just don’t do well for all children’s diets. A healthy, home cooked meal or just the ingredients delivered would be a blessing.
Our local florist donated all her stock to the nursing home. Everyone needs a boost now!
I like your suggestions. But please remember they all have risks. If you leave food at your neighbors door. Call ahead and tell them you’ll be over in a minute and then ring the doorbell, leave the food on the doorstep and walk away. You don’t want to risk spreading anything. I won’t send snail mail cards until this epidemic is over. Germs can live on paper for days. My Mom sent me money a week ago and I haven’t touched it yet. LOL. I spray everything with lysol. I’ve been emailing and texting pictures of flowers, poems and positive quotes. 🙂 Stay Well everyone!
I mentioned Marco Polo app before. People magazine had an article about them today too. It’s way easier and more co vending than FaceTime and it works across iOS and Android
Can u send me toilet paper?
Buy some online
In all seriousness, can you find it online?
One hospital in our area is asking for people who have sewing skills and a sewing machine to make cloth masks for visitors to the hospital.
However, I agree stay home and limit interaction with others. An Italian doctor said “treat everyone as they have a positive test result”. Good luck to you all
Oh my! Treat everyone like they’re contagious…eek. That advice clearly hasn’t worked for the Italian community so…yeah in the meantime I’ll treat everyone like a human being just like through the H1N1 outbreaks or Zika etc. Love thy neighbor! You don’t have to kiss, but stop being so weird please.
This is the mentality that spends the illness. We all need to be “over the top” careful right now.
38,000,000 Americans have had the flu this season. 390,000 Americans have been hospitalized because of the flu. 23,000 Americans have died from the flu. Just offering perspective.
Unfortunately, I fear perspective is no longer allowed anywhere. Prepare for the onslaught.
I believe sending letters might be harmful, since there’s data indicating that the virus would remain on the paper for quite a while. Plus, it adds work to the mailmen, which, given the circumstances is not very considerate. Separately, I couldn’t find ALONE service in the us. It took me the their site in Ireland.
Just a thought for the postal workers and your neighbors: Place a joke, a quote, riddle, or some thoughtful well wishes on your own mail box for whomever to read:)