How to Support Your Community During the COVID-19 Crisis

By LEO GIOSUÈ
(photo credit: INGIMAGE)
(photo credit: INGIMAGE)
For the past several months, the coronavirus (COVID-19) has caused no end to disruption for people and economies all over the world. And with recent resurgence of the disease in evidence in the US and Israel, those disruptions aren't likely to end soon. Here in Israel, there's even a looming crisis brewing as unemployment benefit eligibility is running out for hundreds of thousands of citizens. It's a situation that has all of the makings of a humanitarian crisis if left unaddressed.
The good news is that we don't have to stand by watching while our communities deteriorate and our fellow citizens suffer. There are plenty of ways that each of us can take action to support our local communities and everyone in them who's in need during this unprecedented crisis. In fact, there are so many great ways to get involved that it can be difficult to pinpoint the right place to start. To help, here are the four most direct and useful ways to support those in your community during the coronavirus pandemic.
Join Efforts to Procure PPE
One of the biggest challenges that every nation faces – and Israel is no exception – in combating the coronavirus is making sure all front-line medical personnel have the personal protective equipment (PPE) they need to stay healthy and safe. From the very beginning of this crisis, there have been persistent shortages of a variety of critical materials and goods. So, if you have access to any PPE supplies, consider donating them to organizations that are in need of them. Likewise, if you have connections to manufacturers that may have such supplies available, try and connect those people with those in need.
That's not the only way to help, though. Even if you don't have access to PPE, you can still find ways to contribute. One way is to join what is now a nationwide network of volunteers that have been producing PPE themselves using 3D printing and other available manufacturing techniques. If you have the means to join the effort, the help is sorely needed. If you'd prefer, you can even opt to provide financial support to the volunteers in their not-for-profit efforts.
Volunteer to Raise Funds for Charity
As the crisis wears on, there's likely to be an unprecedented surge in demand for everything ranging from housing support to food and clothing as government unemployment resources prove inadequate. That means one of the most useful ways to help is to volunteer with the local charity or synagogue of your choice to help them raise the funds they'll need to meet the coming demand. Your assistance can come in whatever form you're comfortable with, whether it's helping to organize events, manning a phone bank operation, or even providing office support services to keep the charity operating and doing the most good. Whatever way you can help, it's sure to be appreciated both by the organization you're assisting as well as the needy people it's supporting.
Donate Your Skills
Right now, the only thing standing between countless businesses and permanent closure is their ability to find ways to keep operating under constantly-shifting restrictions. For many smaller firms, this has meant standing up digital operations in a hurry – and that comes with a raft of complications that many aren't equipped to deal with. Their survival, however, will keep countless people employed, taking some of the pressure off of overstretched government programs and the non-profit sector.
So, a great way to contribute is to donate any applicable skills you might have to help local businesses get through the crisis. For example, if you have web design skills, consider pitching in to help a struggling business build an eCommerce site so they can keep making sales. Or, if you're fluent in accounting, you might donate your time to help a business set up the right processes to handle their new sales operations without making a mess of their company books. Really, any professional skills you have might be needed somewhere, so reach out to the businesses you frequented before the crisis and see if there's any way you can help.
Continue to Pay for Postponed Work
If you're fortunate enough to be in a secure financial position yourself, another great way to help out your local community is to continue to pay for work that's been interrupted by the coronavirus crisis. This is a great way to help out, especially in the event that another round of stay-at-home orders is on the way. For example, if you normally pay someone for childcare services, but won't need them while you're required to stay home, consider paying them anyway. Even if you pay only a portion of the normal rate, you'd be helping someone you rely on to get through the crisis. The same goes for housekeepers and other domestic workers – who are often among the most economically vulnerable to interruptions in their ability to work.
Pitch in However You Can
With the coronavirus continuing to pose a threat to Israelis and with no certain end in sight, there's a good chance that the only way to get through the crisis is for everyone to pitch in and do their part. It's going to require a sustained effort over a long period to make sure that everyone is cared for and that our economy will emerge from the crisis without sustaining irreparable damage. It's a fight that's up to all of us to win, and if we summon the will – that's exactly what will happen.