Contribute Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Check out your local health care provider’s website for instructions on the types of homemade masks that may be useful in their setting and how to donate them.
Resources:
- Guide to making masks for healthcare and other essential workers, from Joann Fabrics
- Volunteers across the country have made more than 10 million masks, from TODAY
Show gratitude through electronic or paper cards
Select a local hospital or other places that that employ essential workers (grocery, pharmacy, restaurant, delivery, utilities workers, EMTs etc).
- Determine the format of the card
- Create models to share with others
- Designate how you will collect submissions (via email, regular mail, etc.)
- Galvanize your community to make as many as they can! Consider using some of the awareness raising strategies in box above.
Work with Parent Coordinator and/or administration to find out what members of the school community are nurses that you can thank.
Resources:
- Join EL Education’s Better World Day effort! This year’s event is dedicated to the appreciation of essential workers.
- Honor nurses — May 4-8 is Nurse Appreciation Week!
Connect with seniors and others who may have limited contact due to their risk factors
Identify a community based residential center for elderly people, email or call and ask how you can send greetings or make contact with residents. Some ideas you can offer are:
- Mailing letters/cards
- Have phone call/video chat, or send video greetings
- Holding performances on video that residents can enjoy (sing-a-long, playing an instrument, dramatic reading, student talent show, etc.).
Resources:
Donate food and supplies to animal shelters and pet owners in need
For people living in poverty and underserved communities, pet support services are more important than ever. Now and in the coming months, there will be additional financial struggles and difficulty in accessing resources and affordable care and supplies for pets, and therefore a huge demand on these service agencies.
Check with your local shelter or rescue to see how you can support them during this crisis. Consider donating supplies, both through your local animal shelter and agencies like human food banks. DO NOT leave your home to deliver goods yourself.
Resources:
- What can I do to help animals during coronavirus? from the Humane Society
- Humane Society Pets for Life program
Publicize food and supplies drives
Identify local programs seeking donations. You’ll need to read websites carefully; most are seeking financial donations and obtaining goods themselves (to keep people home).
Once you’ve identified an organization, what they need and where it’s located, publicize their specifications. Only ask for what is needed, as organizations do not have storage space or staff to manage goods that do not meet current needs.
DO NOT leave your home to deliver goods yourself. Should your guardians decide to do this and invite you along, make sure everyone is wearing masks and gloves, and keeping social distance while traveling.
Resources:
- Salvation Army
- Convoy of Hope – hygiene kits
- Encourage students to utilize the neighborhood Free Meals program (destigmatize school lunch!), from Gothamist
- Feeding essential workers and putting restaurants back to work, from The New York Times