The Executive Trustee of Nation Builder, Keri-Leigh Paschal, has stated that there are many ways ordinary citizens can support local non-profit organisations (NPOs) and community organisations without risking their health and wellbeing, as many organisations have created or adapted existing volunteer opportunities to be done remotely.
She noted, ‘Our NPOs have a lot of volunteer work that [need] to be done in person, but they also need virtual volunteers to function as their financial and human resources have dwindled. It’s vital that all of us contribute our skills, resources, and network to get our nation through the storm’.
She recommended that for people to volunteer and make a difference, there should be support for people who work from home. Employers must keep paying domestic workers and gardeners because they have extended families dependent on their income and rely on this income to get them through the lockdown. Paschal added that with the country largely confined indoors, virtual volunteering has become a thing and people can join in. With the lockdown, many people are struggling with the feeling of isolation, uncertainty and stress; therefore, virtual counselling, chat sessions, or online tutoring will be important at this point.
She also recommended that since numerous NPOs and groups are currently running feeding schemes and other community support projects, people can reach out to these local NPOs to assist them. ‘Go online shopping – with a difference. Ask your local NPO what their major grocery needs are and go shopping for them – online, of course, making sure the delivery address is that of the NPO concerned. Retail therapy and making a difference, in one easy step. Donate money’, she added.
Paschal concluded, ’Volunteering can be a great way to add meaning and structure to our lives during the lockdown. When we give back to others, it helps to decrease our anxiety and we forge solid connections with our communities. Just be sure to keep within lockdown regulations, stay safe and healthy’.
Source: Highway Mail
Photo source: Ryan Dupre
