How To Help Our Community During This Pandemic

In the midst of this pandemic, it’s so easy to let all of the news get us down and make us feel helpless. Thankfully, there are ways we can tangibly help those around us who are hurting most. Take a look at the list below if you are looking for ways you can use your talent, resources, and hope to help during this hard time!

• Order from local restaurants/businesses: Local businesses need us all now more than ever. We can support them and their employees by ordering delivery or takeout and tipping workers. If a business can’t deliver or do takeout, graduate students from Johns Hopkins have created a website where people can buy gift cards to local restaurants and stores to use when they open back up.
• Let it grow: With salons closed and hairstylists out of reach, many of us are desperate for a haircut or to touch up our roots. Though it might be tempting to go to town with those kitchen scissors or boxed hair dye, resist the urge. Waiting to get your hair done guarantees that you can help support salons and stylists when they are allowed to work again (it also saves you from impulsively giving yourself a bowl cut and making a bad situation much, much worse).
• Helping Up Mission: Based in Baltimore, this organization is focused on getting people back on their feet while pointing them to Jesus. They provide physical, psychological, social, and spiritual needs to those facing addiction, homelessness, or poverty. However, Helping Up Mission isn’t immune to the struggles of COVID-19 as they try to protect the men and women under their care. If you are able, consider making a donation so that they can continue to protect and provide for these men and women.
• Support churches: With church gatherings going digital now, giving isn’t as easy and it’s understandable that it might slip your mind. However, churches still need whatever help you can afford to give so they can continue to share hope. If you aren’t able to give, prayers are a great alternative.
• Be kind to grocery story workers: Grocery store employees are working hard to keep shelves stocked for you, but sometimes they can get the brunt of customers’ frustrations. Remember they are people too and are probably uneasy about this pandemic just like us. Let’s be intentional about showing kindness to them.
• Donate to food banks: Unfortunately, this pandemic has caused many people to wonder where their next meal is coming from and how they will feed their children. Maryland Food Bank is working to ensure that no one goes hungry, but they need our help to do that. You can donate or learn more about how you can help here.
• American Red Cross blood donations: The American Red Cross is in need of donations. They are even looking for fully-recovered coronavirus patients to donate plasma which could help those severely infected by the virus. Call 1-800-RED CROSS or head over to their website for more information.
• Thank you notes: There are so many essential workers that deserve some encouragement as they bravely serve others. Medical staff are on the front lines, but it’s important not to forget about other workers like delivery drivers and postal workers. All of these people could benefit from an uplifting word. Consider leaving a thank you note in your mailbox for your local postal worker, sending a kind word to someone working in the medical field, or passing along a nice message to a delivery driver.

This is by no means an all-encompassing list, but hopefully, it can give you some ideas on how you can help spread hope to those around you.