During COVID-19, You Can Positively Impact Your Local Community

Whether your household has been hit by the COVID-19 pandemic or not, your local community certainly has been impacted.

Because of a need to social distance from others, it’s hard to volunteer for activities that would require a crowd but that doesn’t mean you can’t make a difference and become a welcome sight in your neighborhood and town. Let’s review some ways you can make a difference in your local area.

Make a Donation to Your Nearby Food Bank

You might not be able to volunteer your personal time because of the restrictions caused by the pandemic, but you can make a donation of food or money to your nearby food bank. If you’ve transitioned from working outside your home to creating an in-home office, the money you save on transportation could be what you offer the charities in your local community to help make a difference.

Local Small Businesses Need Your Support

The places you enjoyed visiting before the pandemic took place might be reopening now that we’re nearly a year beyond the first time a stay at home order was put in place. If the places you like to visit are reopening, now is the time to visit them. If they have transitioned to offering online products, you can buy from them and help ensure they will be ready for you when the pandemic is over.

Do Something Kind for Your Local Healthcare Workers

The increased number of COVID-19 cases has created the need for the healthcare workers at your nearby hospital to work more hours than ever before. You could bring a group of workers in your local community a meal or offer to help clean the home of one of your neighbors who works at the hospital. Check with the person first, but you can help the group of people that help everyone.

Gift Cards Can Support Your Local Community

Some of the businesses in your area that might not be useful right now could be the right place for your business when the pandemic has passed. To support them now and help them continue to stay open, you can buy gift cards today that you can use later when the pandemic is over. These businesses will be glad you decided to make this investment in their future.

Donate Blood and Make a Difference

Your nearby hospital always needs blood to help patients that will be receiving transfusions. With this outbreak, more blood is needed than ever before. If you’re a blood type that makes you a universal donor, your blood is absolutely necessary to help those in your local community heal and get better when they are in the hospital.

Make Phone Calls to Your Friends and Family

When was the last time you saw your neighbors? Do you know a family that has been hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and they are stuck at home for a while? Making a phone call and having a simple conversation rather than connecting only through social media can make a huge difference. Give your nearby neighbors and friends a call and let them know you’re thinking of them.

Create Fundraising Events for Your Local Community

Do you want to support COVID-19 relief efforts? Are you concerned about the homeless and poverty-stricken in your area? You can create fundraising events and donate the money to these efforts. This can be done online or with local community events that allow people to remain socially distanced while providing a donation to your cause. This is a great way to make a positive difference.

Take Care of Yourself

The energy you need to support programs and activities in your community can only be possible if you take good care of yourself first. This means eating right, getting some exercise, going outdoors, practicing patience, and offering kindness to yourself. There are days you’re going to feel great about helping out and others where it may wear you down. Try and keep a positive outlook and stay healthy during this pandemic.

Have Something to Look Forward To

You’ll want to have something you’re looking forward to once the pandemic is over. This can be events at your local community theater that you organize, it can be offering your time in a personal way after COVID-19, or it can be as simple as having a meal with a friend at their home. Plan some of these activities and share your plans with others in your local community to give them something to look forward to as well.