Covid-19 has hurled the nation—and much of the world—into a surreal moment. But amid widespread concern over infection, and the panic that accompanies nationwide quarantines, beautiful and neighborly things are happening.
I see churches posting open-ended invitations on social media to deliver groceries and basic necessities to the doorsteps of quarantined individuals. I see good Samaritans offering to house students who are losing their housing as their universities go remote. Chinese churches reported that, in some meaningful ways, the lockdown actually bolstered community by inspiring daily, hours-long meetings online, as opposed to just Sunday mornings gatherings; and the in-home isolation increased connection with those who are normally kept from attending gatherings via streaming and video services.
American students are making get-well-soon cards for people in isolation. People are buying gift cards so restaurants have some income during this indefinite lull. Little children are offering hand sanitizer sprays and adults are buying and dropping off meals for others. Quarantined Italians are singing together from their balconies.
Small businesses are collaborating to encourage shopping at each other’s businesses (for example: buy a petunia at the flower shop, get a burger at our restaurant). Author Shea Serrano volunteered to pay bills for those who, because of the virus, can’t make payments. Online learning resources are making some of their courses free for the foreseeable future. Seamless, the restaurant delivery service, is deferring all commissions for affected independent restaurants. Newspapers and media outlets are offering their coronavirus coverage for free.
Big business and government agencies are getting involved on the good deeds, too. Comcast is providing free internet to low-income families in Chicago so they can stay connected, work from home as able, and, frankly, get faster Netflix. Microsoft has offered free access to its Teams teleworking software, which will help professionals work from home. Google, Cisco Webex, and Zoom are all doing the same with their livestream and videoconferencing apps.
Companies across the spectrum, including Walmart and Uber, are bolstering their paid sick-leave policies to help workers through potentially long periods off work, and have vowed special compensation for any workers who get infected. Walmart is providing its parking lots to serve as drive-thru covid-19 testing locations. Facebook is matching $20 million in donations for relief efforts.
The Gates Foundation, Tencent, Cargill, and Boeing are all donating money and masks. Even Chinese mogul, Jack Ma, the billionaire behind Alibaba, is shipping 500,000 testing kits and a million masks to America—this after creating a $144 million fund for medical supplies to support the coronavirus epicenter, Wuhan, China.
A relief bill is pushing to expand the free-lunch programs through America’s schools even as many of them close. Many school districts around the country are already offering such programs.
Mercifully, the White House just waived all student loan interest until further notice.
And in sports, Cleveland Cavaliers player Kevin Love has donated $100,000 to supplement arena workers who won’t get a paycheck with the NBA season suspended. Giannis Antetokounmpo did the same. And Jeremy Lin, who now plays basketball in China, donated $150,000 to fight coronavirus through his foundation.
In Detroit, Illitch Holdings has donated $1 million to sustain all part-time Detroit sports workers during cancellations. Mark Cuban (Dallas Mavericks), Tony Ressler (Atlanta Hawks), Joe Tsai (Brooklyn Nets), Josh Harris and David Blitzer (New Jersey Devils), Henry and Susan Samueli (Anaheim Ducks), and Ted Leonsis (Washington Wizards) are also getting in on the action.
The helpers are here.
This will not be an easy season. There will be more cost, more pain, more worry, and more death. But there are also people operating sacrificially, serving the needy, and giving hope. You can too.
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