volunteer — HOME - INRACHELSHOES

A month ago, I don’t think we could have imagined we’d be where we are at this moment. Stuck inside, giving air hugs, and homeschooling our children. But here we are. It’s overwhelming, right? If you are like me, you are trying your best to stay calm for your kids and have a positive attitude in the midst of upheaval.

I’ve learned that the best way to lift my spirits is to help someone else, but since we are being told to stay in our homes, it makes it a little more challenging. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways we can offer support to others from our own homes.

Support Your Kids

First, our kids need us to lead the way during this pandemic. Their lives have been flipped upside down, too. With schools closed in New York and across the country, school systems are handling the missed school days differently. Whether your child’s school has provided at-home virtual lesson plans or you are making it up as you go, there are tons of resources to keep your kids learning and growing over the break. For example, Today put together a great resource of virtual learning tools for parents of everything from FREE Scholastic Learning Resources to celebrities reading children’s books.

Support Your Teachers

Your child’s teacher is experiencing this new normal right alongside you, so give him/her a break. Your child’s teacher likely only had a day or two to transition their entire weekly lesson plan into something kids could do at home without their assistance. That couldn’t have been easier. Show your child’s teacher some support by thanking him/her, asking questions, and not complaining.

Support Your Community

As families hurried to stock up on canned goods, many forgot that there are food banks who desperately need canned goods to provide meals for the needy. CNN reports, “Canned food donations are declining and one food bank in Stamford, Connecticut, can't keep its shelves stocked. […] Pasta, spaghetti sauce and cereal are usually always on the [grocery] shelves, but these days, even those items are gone […]. The food bank has had to use donations to purchase food to replenish their supply.”

While it will be difficult to go shopping and donate actual foods to food banks, you can donate financially to most food banks online from home, including the Food Bank for New York City.

Support Your Favorite Stores & Restaurants

According to CNN, “The drop in foot traffic and a reluctance to go out will leave shops and restaurants empty. In Seattle, already hard hit by the outbreak, a recent survey found that 60% of small businesses there are considering wage cuts and staffing cutbacks, while 35% said they may have to close. More than 80% expect the situation to get worse.”

If you are worried about the coronavirus pandemic affecting some of your favorite small businesses, try to find ways to continue supporting them. For example, buy gift cards to these stores and restaurants (an immediate way to give them some money that you can use when the world rights itself), and shop their online stores.