Five Ways to Support Your Healthcare Community During COVID-19

With everyone at home doing their part to flatten the curve during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, many are left wondering how they can help. As humans, it’s in our nature to want to lend a helping hand whenever and wherever we can. We realize that during this time it can feel increasingly difficult to make a difference. So, to make it easy for you, we’ve broken down five ways that you can support your healthcare community (from home) during COVID-19.

1. Give Meals to Your Local Hospitals

Nurses, doctors, environmental staff, and other essential healthcare personnel are working around-the-clock to care for our community during this time. If you can, think about donating food like bagels, coffee, sandwiches, or pizza to your local hospitals. Most of these medical professionals have little time to eat, let alone prepare meals for themselves. By donating already prepared meals, you’re helping healthcare employees stay nourished so that they can remain focused on caring for our community. If you would like to donate a meal or coffee to GBMC HealthCare employees, click here.

2. Donate Supplies If You Can

We all know there is a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE): cleaning supplies, gloves, masks, etc. If you can, consider sparing some of your supplies by donating them to healthcare professionals in need. If you have spare gloves, masks, hand sanitizers, cleaning supplies, or anything else that you feel you can part with, consider donating them. The CDC is encouraging the public to wear cloth face coverings, but these are different than medical-grade masks. Click here to learn more. If you would like to donate masks, gloves, or any other supplies to GBMC HealthCare, click here.

3. Help Your Elderly Neighbors

The older population is at the highest risk for serious symptoms from COVID-19. Do your part to help them whenever you can. Going to the grocery store? Check with your elderly neighbor or your grandparents to see if they need anything while you’re there. This pandemic has taught us the power of human kindness and hopefully has made you consider picking up the phone to check in with your older relatives more often than you typically would. We are all in this together, and we need to take care of ourselves and those around us as best we can. A small act of kindness can go a very long way.

4. Make a Donation to Support Funds

Many non-essential employees have lost their paychecks and may be struggling to provide for their families. Did you know that many essential employees have also lost the ability to use public transportation to get to work?
We have set up a GBMC HealthCare Workers Fund to help those who are making the ultimate sacrifice to keep our community safe, the fund will be used to pay for staff transportation using Uber or Lyft. You may also click here to send encouraging words to our frontline workers. Kind words and thoughtful messages can make all the difference in the world!

5. Continue to Flatten the Curve

At this point, you probably hear this once a day, if not more. However, we continue to stress the importance of helping to flatten the curve. Do not make unnecessary trips, do not gather in large crowds, and stay home and call your primary care doctor if you feel sick. Together we will get through this, and together we will flatten the curve.

If you would like to make a donation to the GBMC HealthCare Workers Fund or donate food/supplies, we encourage you to visit our donation page here.

*Click here for more information about the coronavirus (COVID-19)*