Skip to main content

15 ways to be helpful during self-isolation

It's really easy to feel helpless right now, but there are some things people can do.

  1. Foster a pet if you can! Animals need care during this time and shelters are going to be running on a smaller and smaller staff, so it would help if they had fewer animals to look after, if only temporarily
  2. Check in with people. This is good for you and them
  3. Donate to food banks, they're very important right now
  4. If you have loved ones who are a high risk group, offer to run errands for them if you can
  5. Plan virtual hang outs. They are so fun and so heartening
  6. Make things and share them. People will feel more connected and it's honestly nice to see non-news things get posted
  7. Share any online resources you know (this post is coming!)
  8. Follow all the recommendations of social distancing and hygiene. I feel like this one is obvious, but it's super important
  9. Take time to sort through your stuff and see what you don't need then figure out where to donate it. Now, some of these places may not be able to collect things right now, but that will eventually change and you'll be ready
  10. If you're in an area where you can and you are able to, donate blood. A lot of efforts to get blood donors are going to be curtailed during this time and people will still need blood donations
  11. Donate to places supplying important goods to those in need. In Chicago, My Block My Hood My City has launched a campaign to receive and distribute donations of hand sanitizers, health supplements, toiletries, and food to Chicago's elderly. There is also Brave Space Alliance, a South Side-based LGBTQ organization, has new online and mutual aid programming in response to COVID-19 with a food pantry will prioritize people who are sick, disabled, quarantined without pay, elderly, undocumented, black, brown or indigenous people.
  12. Donate to artist relief funds. In Chicago there is the Chicago Artists Relief Fund 
  13. Donate to hospitality employee relief funds. In Chicago there is the Chicago Hospitality Employee Relief Guide
  14.  If your city has a COVID relief fund, considering donating.
  15. Spread the word of places that need donations. Even if you can't afford to donate right now, chances are a social media post by you can reach someone who can
(Prompt by me)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

15 facts about my dad

Just been thinking about some lighthearted facts I know about my dad lately. When he was young, he had a goldfish named Lysander He introduced me to Star Trek At Christmas, he would tear up at It's a Wonderful Life He used to send me articles from his Yahoo email account that he thought I'd like We used to play a game called "Nightmare" where he would lie down and we'd jump around (and sometimes on) him He would clip possible recipes for us to try out of newspapers and magazines We bought him a Paddington Bear to take on trips because we feared he'd be lonely and he always took it He had teddy bears for three different holidays We once had such a hilariously difficult time building a gingerbread house that when some frosting ended up on the counter, I plopped a gumdrop on it and we laughed until we cried He and his sister were born about 11 months apart We would try recipes from Top Chef He kept gifts I made him, even when they weren't great At Christmas, ...
Post a Comment
Read more

15 things you'll think about during your dad's latest hospital stay

This is meant to be a related piece to "15 things to do in your dad's hospital room," "15 Things You Find in Your Dad's Hospice Room," and "15 Things You Find When You Clean Out Your Dad’s Apartment" .  The Christmas lights at the nurse's station that should really have been switched for saccharine cupids by now What team decided to hang up a clearly labeled DRAFT safety sign Who comes up with the aliases they seem to use for trauma patients and how they decided on Redstone for your dad That his skin either looks like a bruised elephant or like sickeningly conflicting colors of thin paper mache Where you can possibly get food--you're shaky The patient in the ER somewhere with a lot of ammo, but no gun, or so they say Why the staff is being so happily loud and swearing...it feels discordant The used bandaid and gauze that are left on the floor of his ER room as he moves to his hospital room...the last proof he was there Having to do this a...
Post a Comment
Read more

15 things to do in your dad's hospital room

This is meant to be a related piece to  "15 Things You Find in Your Dad's Hospice Room" and "15 Things You Find When You Clean Out Your Dad’s Apartment" . Tell yourself you can panic later (you'll likely never find the time to, but it'll help) Wear a mask because he's immunocompromised (and besides, you've been out trying to live a life which means you could've caught something) Turn on the Olympics because he can't use a remote anymore and no one has helped him (besides, it's always on these days and he at least used to enjoy it) Practice your sanitized answers to his questions (he won't remember them, but no need to alarm him about in his life, your life, or the world for even a moment) Try not to be in the way of the nurses (you'll fail) Sit on the bed because there is no where else to (and realize your arm is resting against his urine jug) Worry that his bed should be alarmed when he gets up to go to the bathroom (he make...
Post a Comment
Read more