How to Help at Home
In light of the COVID-19 outbreak, the need to uplift one another is greater than ever. Our community’s most vulnerable populations need our support and will continue to need it in the days, weeks, and months ahead.
Together, we can show up for our community in these tough times—even from the comfort of our own homes.
Check out our list of in-home volunteer opportunities below, perfect for anyone anytime. Save your favorite ideas, complete a project, and give to an organization of your choice—it's that easy! If you need help finding an agency, just give us a shout!
Note: Please contact organizations directly to confirm when you can deliver a completed project via mail or drop off.
Preparing donations:
- Go through your shelves and set aside books to donate once social distancing has come to an end.
- Practice spring cleaning and set aside clothing and toys to donate once social distancing has come to an end.
- Take out dishes, flatware, and more that are no longer in use and set aside to donate.
- Send meal delivery or grocery store gift cards to your local food pantry or homeless shelter.
- Offer goods to donate and deliver to your community members through the city of Chicago's website. Information listed at the bottom of the page (link).
- Donate a catered meal to a hospital to help fuel health care workers working hard to keep us safe (link).
- Search your home
to find loose change for a tzedakah box to donate to an organization of
your choice—make it a fun scavenger hunt!
Getting creative:
- Make toys out of old T-shirts for shelter dogs (link).
- Help make sleeping mats for people experiencing homelessness out of plastic grocery bags. Start by making ‘plarn’ and if you have enough material and are feeling adventurous, crochet the mat! (link).
- Create a no-sew fleece blanket for patients at a local children’s hospital (link).
- Use sidewalk
chalk to write messages of positivity and lift the spirits of those who pass.
Building connections:
- Provide companionship to someone living in a nursing/retirement home through letters, postcards, or Facetime.
- Call a friend, neighbor, or family member who might feel socially isolated.
- Decorate and send cards or signes to health care workers and other first responders.
- Show kindness to the US armed forces by writing thank you cards, knitting hats, making paracord bracelets, and more (link).
- Send a neighborly letter to check on the needs of those in your immediate community. This template, adapted by Repair the World, can be modified to suit your needs! (link).
- Walk the dog of a neighbor who
is sick or immunocompromised.
- Send a care package to a loved one who is sick or might feel socially isolated. Need ideas?
- Create a personalized gift with photographs and special memories.
- Deliver soup, snacks, and other comfort food to ease the blues.
- Gather a variety of favorite items together into one “just for you” package!
- Check out BBYO’s J-Serve On-Demand programming, geared toward teenagers.
Offering in-depth support:
- Join an animal shelter’s emergency foster list.
- Become a volunteer Crisis Counselor, providing text-based emotional support to those who may have coronavirus-related stress (link).
- Help students, especially those navigating disrupted plans, by answering career-related questions and providing support (link).
