From locust plagues to civil protests, the year 2020 has been likened to the apocalypse and yet we’re only five months in! Instead of seeing current events as something negative, we at Maxim are taking these opportunities to do good and give back to our communities; we’re encouraging you to do the same.
Although the media has stopped focusing on the Coronavirus as much, Covid-19 still poses an immense threat to our public health system and economy, not to mention our loved ones! But since March, our country’s first responders have been battling the disease minute-by-minute, day by day, in hopes of saving just a few more lives. Not all of us can be heroes on the front lines, but there are small ways we can help them and those affected most by the pandemic.
Check out the list below for ways to help right now, and remember, this week Maxim is matching all donations made to Feeding America through our website at checkout, up to $100 per person, and donating 5% of all purchases made!
1. Volunteer Your Time
Giving doesn’t necessarily mean financially — we all have resources at our disposal to use and time is one of the greatest assets needed for any movement. You can volunteer for call centers offering pertinent information, offer counseling for those in dangerous/abusive situations, even use your time to educate people on their options, for example, the upcoming elections and how to procure absentee ballots so the virus doesn’t keep people from casting their votes.
2. Sew Masks
It actually doesn’t take much to create a homemade mask — some people are cutting ankle socks to wear over their faces and some more talented individuals have taken to their needles and sewing machines to create masks out of scrap cloth. Many of the patterns online don’t require any sewing or special materials making this an easy way to give back and a great project to do with kids!
3. Buy from Small Businesses
Supporting independent, local businesses is more important than ever as social distancing measures disrupts workflow on multiple levels. Already, 100,000 small businesses have closed and 7.5 million are at risk due to Covid related disruptions. Businesses run by people of color are in particular distress and fear the lack of federal aid trickling down. When you go online to buy next, forget Amazon and look to other alternatives — your purchases are what keep them afloat, their employees paid and families fed.
4. Drop Off Food for Essential Workers
Local hospitals have been struggling to keep up with the influx of patients since March — nurses, doctors, and staff are risking their lives every day, putting their families at risk, and pulling double shifts. One way to help is to drop off food for these essential workers so they can eat on their short, much needed breaks. Consider bringing pre-packaged snacks like a box of chips or ordering from local businesses to deliver — pizza is always a favorite!
5. Donate
There are literally hundreds of organizations, shelters, and hospitals in need of extra support. While the number of Covid-19 cases has dropped, this may be temporary and the resources used to cope with those affected have either been depleted or greatly lessened. Due to the lack of federal funding, many organizations are now relying on private donations to sustain their work and each dollar counts. The organization DonatePPE has distributed almost 1,220,000 PPE kits nationally to those medical centers most in need. But remember, it’s not only personal protective equipment that’s needed in this time. People’s lives have been disrupted at all stages so giving back can take the form of almost anything — that’s why Maxim Hygiene has chosen Feeding America, a network of 200 food banks that feed more than 46 million people through food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and other community-based agencies.