Ways to help in the effort against Covid-19 (for kids and non-crafty adults)?

[ourbabygirl]

I'm seeing a ton of people sewing masks and head coverings for doctors and nurses. Unfortunately, I don't know how to sew, and got rid of my sewing machine (used once, to make throw pillows) when we moved... don't really want to buy another, as I don't think I'll use it.

Other than trying to keep up peoples' morale (we've been doing chalk drawings in the neighborhood, cards to elderly relatives, etc.), do you have any other ideas for ways to help in the effort? I know that buying from local restaurants, donating blood, and donating money to food shelves is helpful, too.

What have you done, or what do you plan to do? Also, ways to get the kids involved helping?

Thanks in advance!

[Liziz]

I know this isn't exactly what you're looking for, but just remember that by just staying home and not getting together with other people, you are probably doing the biggest and best thing you can possibly do. And that by just doing that, you ARE helping the fight.

[NCGrandma]

I know this isn't exactly what you're looking for, but just remember that by just staying home and not getting together with other people, you are probably doing the biggest and best thing you can possibly do. And that by just doing that, you ARE helping the fight.

This is really important and often gets lost in the eagerness to "do something." And it doesn’t even require any craft skills! (I’ve been amazed at some of the homemade mask options — maybe if I had ever learned to do origami...)


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[ourbabygirl]

Yeah, we're definitely staying home! We didn't have a very active social life before this, and my husband and kids are pretty introverted, so that helps!

[khm]

I'm seeing a ton of people sewing masks and head coverings for doctors and nurses. Unfortunately, I don't know how to sew, and got rid of my sewing machine (used once, to make throw pillows) when we moved... don't really want to buy another, as I don't think I'll use it.

Other than trying to keep up peoples' morale (we've been doing chalk drawings in the neighborhood, cards to elderly relatives, etc.), do you have any other ideas for ways to help in the effort? I know that buying from local restaurants, donating blood, and donating money to food shelves is helpful, too.

What have you done, or what do you plan to do? Also, ways to get the kids involved helping?

Thanks in advance!

We have a local group that is accepting donations to organize food to be delivered to hospitals. They in turn are utilizing some local restaurants to cook the meals. Kind of a win-win.

If you know a person that is sewing the masks, ask them where they are getting their supplies and do a eGift Card to somewhere for them to get more supplies online (Amazon or Walmart or JoAnn Fabric).

None of this is great for including the kids, just have them keep on putting paper hearts and paper Easter eggs on your windows.

[KrisM]

Our robotics team is helping another robotics team by 3d printing headbands for face masks. We've personally printed a bunch and we are signed up to deliver them Friday. I know they are collecting money to help people pay for filament and the clear transparencies for them.

So the printer is running about 20 hours a day - DS1 is up late and I'm up early. But it's a 50 min. print, so mostly we just do nothing until we need to take one off and start another, lol.

But, I know the collecting, figuring out where to donate them, and actually donating them takes a lot of time. Maybe there is a group that needs people to help coordinate things for them? Or make runs from where masks are being made to where they are being used?

[dogmom]

We have a local group that is accepting donations to organize food to be delivered to hospitals. They in turn are utilizing some local restaurants to cook the meals. Kind of a win-win.

If you know a person that is sewing the masks, ask them where they are getting their supplies and do a eGift Card to somewhere for them to get more supplies online (Amazon or Walmart or JoAnn Fabric).

None of this is great for including the kids, just have them keep on putting paper hearts and paper Easter eggs on your windows.

I am a nurse that works at a hospital and we are getting food. But honestly, we are so busy I don’t have time to eat it. What would make my life easier is if someone could shop or bring food to MY family. I went off today because I can’t be hovering over my phone or computer to get a delivery slot for groceries. My DH is straight out at his job in a local government. I got one slot this am, took time to pick groceries, but then took to long and lost the slot then they were all gone for the week. I’m taking care of other people’s families and I can’t even get food for mine!

[twowhat?]

If it makes you feel better, homemade masks are (at least where I live) more for the general public, to improve the chances of reducing asymptomatic spread, than it is to help first responders in a healthcare setting. Because homemade masks vary SO WIDELY in materials used, fit, etc, most hospitals that I know of aren't accepting them, and if they are, the homemade masks are to ONLY be used OVER a factory-made surgical mask or N95 to try to prolong the use of those masks. What would get really scary is if it got so bad that hospitals resort to homemade masks as a last resort (are there any hospitals that hit this point? In NYC?)

Having made a few masks myself, just for immediate family and one other family to use in case of essential errands, it's difficult to get a good fit and tight seal on various faces, not to mention figuring out which materials might filter out the most stuff. It took me a whole weekend to figure out best fit for just my family, and that was after a bunch of tweaking to our own faces.

Some ideas: send food to hotels that are hosting first responders (I know of several in my area - it's sad but helpful to keep first responders away from their own families). Send food to hospitals but know that it's sometimes difficult to remove PPE in order to eat, so many HCPs are opting to literally just not eat or drink if they are limited to one set of PPE. If you do send food, make sure it is as easy to eat as possible. That's why I kind of feel like it might be better to send food to the hotels. Offer to grocery shop for a first responder. They get home late and tired and all the TP is already snagged by the time they might be able to shop for themselves. Offer to sponsor families in need - our school district is running a program for this. You can either buy grocery gift cards which get hand-delivered to those families or you can simply donate money and the district manages getting food to these families. The school district is a good resource since they know exactly which families need extra help. Offer to shop for an elderly person, etc. On FB there are lots of offers to help - someone posted the other day "if you are going to have to go to bed hungry, please send me a PM and I will drop off some food on your doorstep...please do not go to bed hungry!". I don't know if this person's offer was taken but it was a nice gesture to help someone out. Also on FB people have been posting pleas for help - down to their last roll of TP, that kind of thing. I've put TP out on my porch for someone to pick up who was unable to find any.

[petesgirl]

I am a nurse that works at a hospital and we are getting food. But honestly, we are so busy I don’t have time to eat it. What would make my life easier is if someone could shop or bring food to MY family. I went off today because I can’t be hovering over my phone or computer to get a delivery slot for groceries. My DH is straight out at his job in a local government. I got one slot this am, took time to pick groceries, but then took to long and lost the slot then they were all gone for the week. I’m taking care of other people’s families and I can’t even get food for mine!

Ugh, I'm so sorry! So stressful! I don't know any doctors or nurses working the front lines but I'll have to check with the ones I know that work at clinics.

[khm]

If it makes you feel better, homemade masks are (at least where I live) more for the general public, to improve the chances of reducing asymptomatic spread, than it is to help first responders in a healthcare setting. Because homemade masks vary SO WIDELY in materials used, fit, etc, most hospitals that I know of aren't accepting them, and if they are, the homemade masks are to ONLY be used OVER a factory-made surgical mask or N95 to try to prolong the use of those masks. What would get really scary is if it got so bad that hospitals resort to homemade masks as a last resort (are there any hospitals that hit this point? In NYC?)

My mom contacted a hospital in a midwest city last week and they did say they would take them. I was very surprised, and assumed it was for people in non-patient care jobs.

Hospitals in my area (different, larger city in the same state) initially did issue a polite statement saying they would decline them. Then, three days later they ALL (three major hospital groups) came out and said they'd take homemade masks. Again, I was surprised. I believe they will use them over their regular masks to prolong their use.

Mind-boggling.



Dogmom, I hear you! They showed multiple to-go type boxes, so I hope most of it is getting taken home if not eaten there. The group running it in my area is incredibly experienced in charity food distribution from within the restaurant industry, so it is my sincere hope that they are doing it in a way that minimizes waste. They feed other groups as well, so I'm sure it is a balance - if it isn't getting used, then they'll use it for out-of-work restaurant workers or kids missing out on school lunch.

If a nurse friend of mine needed to me to either order their groceries or accept their delivery for them or shop for them, I would do it happily! I just don't know of a group in my area to donate to that is spearheading that type of "shop for a healthcare worker" effort. I know in my little town, if someone asked for help on our local Facebook group, they would be assisted. People are SO EAGER to help in real ways! I would totally ask for help in your local group. Someone right next door to you is likely home and would be able to do it! Load up an online shopping cart and let someone you know hover over the refresh button until they get you a slot. I'd be happy to do that for you, seriously!