During this time of the pandemic, many people need our help. You may not notice it, but some people need assistance in their problems. Others, like those searching for home plumbing solutions, need professional help not readily available. If you can provide simple solutions, you can go and try to help.
Helping at this time can also be as simple as just staying at home. It’s no secret that the COVID-19 virus is easily passed to others. Sheltering in place already means you’re saving a life other than yours and your relatives. Some might want to do more than stay at home because volunteerism is a part of their core values.
If you count yourself as one of them, good for you. Here are a few ways you can still volunteer without putting the people you help at risk of getting the virus.
Consider your safety first
Just because you’re volunteering doesn’t mean you can forego your own safety. Keeping yourself safe is one of the noblest acts of helping others you can do. You protect others from being infected by the virus, and, in turn, you protect yourself from being taken care of by others.
Even though you’re healthy, the virus might be present in your system. You should always keep others and yourself safe by working in your own personal protective equipment (PPE) when you’re volunteering. It doesn’t matter if you’re in the neighborhood or somewhere a little far away. You should always think of others’ safety.
Know your limits and expertise
Remember that most organizations have limited resources and methods right now or even before the pandemic. If you know what skills and experience you have, you’ll know whether it’s a benefit if you volunteer for work or if you stay at home.
Take an honest look at yourself and ask what you have to offer even before committing to working for an organization or someone else. If you’re only going to feel stress about working, you should think about getting less to do more. If you think you’re up for some more volunteer work, that’s the time that you take on extra projects.
Volunteer to help the aged
One of the two most at-risk groups during this time are the seniors. Many older people or elderly couples are at home, without family, and may have trouble accessing basic needs. If you know someone or a couple who fits this criterion, go out of your way to help them.
Some seniors also feel some mental health challenges during this time, with all the isolation that comes with the lockdown and the loneliness caused by the uncertainty. Even within facilities that offer senior care, there are still elders who feel this. You can volunteer your time and effort by helping them cope with the quarantine and these effects.
Reach out to people who need connections
It’s not only the aged or senior who needs help to battle loneliness right now. Some people need to talk with others, even during online engagements. It’s the perfect time to offer your valuable connection to someone you know or even a stranger.
Online apps are plenty, and they enable live chatting between different participants and a host. You need to pay attention to the needs of the people you’re talking to. You should also make sure that all participants are comfortable with the technology you’re using to ease learning stress.
Reach out to people wherever they are
With the shelter-in-place orders already given, this is easy to do. Where else would you meet these people but on the web? You need to create a schedule where you could meet with them one-on-one to give them the feeling of exclusivity.
Popular web apps are mostly where the people who need you are, so sign up for these if you haven’t already. These are community engagement apps that will enable you to reach out to a wider audience; if you think these people need your valuable time, then give it to them.
Be creative with the ways you help people achieve their need for connections. There are times when you need to reach out personally — like when you’re visiting elders in their senior homes. There are also times when all it takes is a simple click of the mouse and turning on your camera. The best gift you can give is safety, so do that.
