Ways to Offer Aid in the Time of COVID-19

Ways to Offer aid for $0.00

Share a family recipe or tradition with a friend.

Create a personalized playlist for a family member or friend.

Share the work of one of your favorite artists or thought leaders on Instagram. What draws you to this work? 

Text a family member or friend one specific thing you value about her, him, or them. My friend, Maggie, always uses my name when she speaks to me. “How are you today, Chels?” “What are you up to this weekend, Chels?” It’s a subtle way of communicating, “I’m interested in you specifically in this moment.”

Create and send a family member or friend a personalized grocery list in order to make meals at home simpler and more fun. (Ask for this, too!)

Teach someone a virtual lesson in something you practice such as yoga, baking, or a second language. My friend, Carissa, taught me yoga via FaceTime this week, and it was so wonderful!

Write a (large) note of encouragement, and hang it in your window.

Ways to Offer Aid for $5.00 +

Elizabeth Suzann is currently producing cloth masks for hospice care facilities, group homes that serve immunocompromised communities, veterans’ hospitals, medical facilities where N95 and surgical masks are limited, and more. Each mask costs about $5.00 in labor and materials. ES is accepting monetary contributions to directly offset the wages paid to the ES team to work on this project from home. Regardless of funds raised, all masks will be donated free of charge to those in need. We can make a contribution here.

Emi Ito of Little Koto’s Closet has organized a Community Fund that matches monetary contributions with monetary requests from $5.00 to $20.00. We can contribute to Emi’s fund by directly messaging her on Instagram with the amount we are able to contribute. Then, Emi herself matches us with someone in need of that amount. Read more here.

Order a meal from a local restaurant. Order fresh flowers from a local florist. Purchase a gift card from a local and small business.

An Important Note

If we are safe, healthy, and well taken care of ourselves, we may be able to support external efforts and local businesses. I acknowledge our personal circumstances can change hour to hour and day to day. If for any reason focusing on anyone or anything other than ourselves feels unsafe, I encourage us to walk away free of guilt. To take care of others is to first take care of ourselves.

Do you have additional ideas? Please share in the comment section below.

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