As the USA becomes the country with the largest number of people infected with the novel coronavirus, we hope you and your loved ones are doing well and doing everything you can to stay safe and reduce transmission (and overwhelming our healthcare systems) during the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. At the same time, this crisis has revealed the fragility of our social fabric, it has also shown a spotlight on the heroism of those doing everything they can to care for the sick, feed and protect the hungry, unhoused, and most vulnerable among us, and otherwise, keep society functioning during a time of extended crisis.
How to Make ‘Social Distancing’ Compatible with Social Solidarity
The extreme inequality unmasked by the COVID-19 emergency is the reason a number of people are pushing back on the phrasing “social distancing,” which, for a panicked public, seems to imply that fighting this virus means retreating from any interaction and only focusing on ourselves or our immediate household. However, for those who work with the most vulnerable among us on a daily basis, this crisis immediately sounded the alarm for that we need increased solidarity and care for those who can’t easily follow the directive to shelter in place (which has been criticized as a white-collar quarantine when access to health care, education, internet, living wages, and labor rights, are nowhere near universal). Two great articles on decolonizing community care by the indigenous activists at the NDN Collective and social solidarity by john a. Powell of the Othering and Belonging Institute at UC Berkeley speak to the need to replace the concept of ‘social distancing’ with one that allows for increased support of one another and especially of our most vulnerable, during a time of physical separation to combat the SARS-COV-2 virus. Another great article describes the health justice approach to protecting vulnerable communities during the coronavirus pandemic.
As frustrating as the lack of consistent national leadership and direction in response to the pandemic, the amazing peer to peer mutual aid networks, voluntarism, donations, crowdsourcing, and other forms of support has been amazing to witness. This post seeks to round-up some of our favorite community care and social solidarity initiatives that have emerged in response to COVID-19. If you are looking for ways you can help and do more to help those on the frontlines while under stay at home orders, the links below are a great place to start. And if you know of other great solidarity and care initiatives happening right now, post them in the comments below!
PSA: Stay safe by following CDC public health guidelines to practice good hygiene (frequent handwashing for at least 20 seconds, using sanitizer, staying home, self-isolating if sick, and if you must go out, avoiding large gatherings, staying 6 feet-part, and wearing a mask if you will be in close contact with others. Of course, if you have extra personal protective equipment (e.g. a number of us in California do from last year’s wildfires), then donate them to those on the frontlines–healthcare workers, retail, mail delivery, and other essential workers who are forced to be out and about to keep our society functioning, or for economic reasons, due to the lack of an adequate safety net, labor protection, and universal healthcare in the United States. [If you can’t find a donation site near you via #findthemasks, Mask Match (for individuals and organizations) and PPE Link (for labs and organizations) will try to match you directly with people or institutions in need of PPE].
Donating Personal Protective Equipment
www.projectn95.org
www.mask-match.com
Also check with your state or county health departments, for the latest local guidelines to stay safe and how you can help.
Mutual Aid Networks (Requests and Offers)
Food and Nutrition Assistance
Here is a great article on how urban agriculture can support food system resilience during COVID-19 pandemic by Jennifer Sowerwine, UC Berkeley College of Natural Resources/Extension Specialist. See: ucanr.edu/blogs/UrbanAg
Crowdsourced Research
Community Resources and Other Ways You Can Donate or Support
Asian Pacific Environmental Network
donate.apen4ej.org/campaign/covid-19-emergency-community-stabilization-fund/c277079
Community Ready Corps
www.getreadystayready.org/donate
COVID-19 Resources for Undocumented Californians
Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly
littlebrothers.org/
Getting Help and Supporting Local Organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area
You might be wondering about additional ways you can support organizations on the ground helping people in need in your community. In cities across the country, people are sharing live continuously updated Google Docs with community resources during the pandemic. For example, here in the San Francisco BayArea, there is a mass community resource list and up to date health information. Additionally, the SF Chronicle published a list of organizations you can donate to in order to help the most vulnerable during the coronavirus crisis.
CNN also has a great list of ways you can help: Keep food flowing to the hungry, support healthcare and service workers, as well as refugees during the crisis.And if you just want to be inspired, as well as learn about other grassroots initiatives and innovation, check out CNN’s Impact Your World series.
Using the comments below to let us know about other initiatives you’ve discovered!
