How can we support those who are struggling right now?
If you are on the front lines of the pandemic, the answers are clear, but what about the rest of us? Huddled at home, we are frustrated, juggling work, perhaps our own education, the schooling our children, worrying about loved ones who are vulnerable, wondering if we will ever get back to some semblance of normalcy. We are trying to remain hopeful despite the uncertainties ahead but the daily news can hardly reassure.
I have found a way to support those on the front line by volunteering for a peer support physician hotline a few hours a week (Physician Support Line – 888-409-0141). This small act allows me to feel I can be of some support to those much closer to the fray.
I am also volunteering with a group of citizens in my town who help with emergency preparedness. We meet weekly by video to plan small local efforts like pairing volunteers with local elderly for groceries and errands, organizing local sewers who are making masks for caregivers, supporting our community center to arrange a blood and plasma drive.
I take some extra time to talk to family and friends who are single and live alone. We consider the risks to the elderly, but there are also burdens for the young who are unable to date, socialize, complete schooling with their peers, or perhaps land their first job. Take a moment to write a few names of people you know who need you and make a call or two. Every single one of us has someone who needs us.