By Sara Martinez
The current global health crisis has made things very difficult for a lot of people. People have lost their earnings or their jobs, they may be missing loved ones, be struggling to cope with the need to stay at home, or they might simply be finding the current situation very hard and upsetting. If you’re lucky enough to be able to do so, you might be searching for ways to offer help to others.
Raise Money
There are lots of charities and organizations that need your help. You could find ways to support causes that are aiming to fund medical research, support those who are in financial difficulty or buy much-needed safety equipment for key workers. You could help by making a one-off donation, by buying a fund-raising item like COVID 19 pins or raise money yourself. Make craft projects that you can sell to raise money, or get sponsored to run a marathon on your running machine or around your garden.
Help Your Neighbors
It’s often said that charity begins at home, so if you’re looking for ways to help people, you could start by thinking closer to home. Do you have elderly or vulnerable neighbors who would benefit from someone dropping off groceries or collecting prescriptions for them? Do you have a neighbor with young children that they’re struggling to keep busy? If you have spare craft supplies or old toys your children don’t play with anymore, you could give them to your neighbor’s kids. Do you have lots of books that you won’t read again that someone else might enjoy? Even just offering a (socially distanced) supportive ear could help a lot. Set up a group for your street on WhatsApp or Facebook. People can use it to offer up spare food, old books, their time, or whatever else they have to donate, or can ask for any help they need. Put a note through people’s doors to let them know you’re offering to help. Even if people don’t take you up on the offer, they might feel better to know that help is available if they do need it later on. You might inspire others to offer help too.
Reach Out
A lot of people are finding the current situation very stressful and hard to cope with. If you have friends who you know will be finding things more difficult than usual, make sure you reach out to them. You could send text messages, make calls online, phone them, or send a letter. Reaching out to a friend for a chat will help you both to feel better. You can both have a chat and ease any worries by airing them, and you can both feel more normal for having some communication with someone who doesn’t live in your house. You could set-up a virtual happy hour for you and your friends to spend time together as you would under normal circumstances. Meet online, share a drink, chat, and help each other.
