10 Ways to help doctors, nurses and hospital workers right now
Donate masks, hand sanitizer, and cleaning supplies
Items being requested:
Surgical masks
N95 respirators
Face/eye shields
Gloves
Cleaning supplies
Hand sanitizers
Viral testing swabs
Sew masks
Run essential errands for higher-risk people
Send food to hospitals. Be sure to call first to make sure they’re accepting food items - typically they’ll need it all to be individual wrapped. Or you can call a local unit and arrange to have a meal delivered.
Donate blood and encourage others to do so as well.
Tell congress to increase protective equipment for nurses now. According to the American Nurses Association, nurses are being forced to take such drastic measures as reusing masks or making their own from available materials in their facilities – creating unsafe conditions for both nurses and their patients. This is unacceptable, RNs continue to work on the frontlines of this outbreak and should have the equipment needed to safely do their job. Tell your senator here.
Make monetary donations for healthcare workers in need. You can search on GoFundMe
Volunteer with the Red Cross. The Red Cross is desperately seeking volunteers to assist with COVID-19 disease efforts, from delivering supplies to helping with blood drives and there are even at-home volunteer opportunities available too. Check the Red Cross site for more info.
Help nurses with childcare. Nurses are parents too and, parents are nurses. While most people can stay home with their kids during this pandemic — nurses can’t. So, if you’re in a position to watch their kids you should definitely offer! Also, for nurses who need help with childcare, Sittercity, a company that provides families with the resources to connect with and hire local nannies and babysitters, has reached out and shared an initiative to help you gain better access to child care during these challenging times. They’re offering a month of premium membership for free on their platform to all healthcare workers. Go here to take advantage of this benefit.
Express your gratitude. While hospitals don’t need an influx of notes and cards hitting their mail rooms right now, given their attempts to minimize the germs entering their facilities, workers still appreciate a virtual expression of thanks — whether that’s a texted photo of a picture your kid drew to the health care providers in your life or a public comment on social media.
Donate to Cancer Research
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the American Cancer Society’s ability to raise funds that support critical services for cancer patients – putting our mission in jeopardy. Your tax-deductible donation will help us continue the fight against cancer. Please donate today.