This week we celebrated “Giving Tuesday Now” – a day to come together and give back to the unprecedented needs in our communities caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In March, Levi Strauss & Co. shared how it is responding by committing $3 million to COVID-19 relief efforts, with a focus on employees, community partners and supply chain workers.
If you’re looking to join the #GivingTuesdayNow movement and help create a wave of generosity by donating to an organization addressing the disease and its widespread impacts, here are a few groups we think are worth supporting:
Your local food bank: With schools closed and unemployment soaring, food banks everywhere are dealing with an unprecedented demand for services, coupled with dwindling supplies and fewer volunteers to meet the need. Find your local food bank and donate today to help families take putting food on the table off their list of things to worry about.
Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is responding to the pandemic in more than 70 countries – caring for patients, offering health education and mental health support, and providing training for vital infection control measures in health facilities around the world. And while the coronavirus pandemic is capturing all the headlines these days, one of their key priorities is to keep regular medical programs going for the tens of thousands of patients who rely on them aside from the COVID-19 crisis. Learn more about their work and donate here.
Chinese for Affirmative Action: There has been a surge in reports of xenophobic and racist incidents targeting Asian Americans related to the COVID-19 pandemic, from verbal harassment to tragic assaults. In response, Chinese for Affirmative Action helped establish a national website and hotline to report anti-Asian bullying, hate crimes and violence that has already recorded more than 1,500 reports from across the U.S. Donate to support their efforts here.
Take a stand against domestic violence: One of the side effects of the stay-at-home orders has been a spike in domestic violence incidents in the U.S. and around the world. The lockdowns that help prevent the spread of the disease can also trap people with abusive partners, and makes leaving an abusive situation even more difficult. Donate to an organization that is supporting survivors of abuse, like the National Network to End Domestic Violence and the Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Human Rights.
Support frontline health workers: Around the world there has been an outpouring of support for the medical staff who are caring for the sick, often providing the support that friends and family members cannot during quarantine. In addition to community clapping and sending thank you notes, show your appreciation by donating to a group like Direct Relief (making sure they have the personal protective equipment they need) or Frontline Foods (partnering with local restaurants to feed health workers on the job).
Healthy and active youth with the 49ers Foundation: As Bay Area youth are faced with obstacles to opportunities for critical education and safe and healthy physical activity, the 49ers Foundation is adapting their direct services through the Foundation’s core programs, 49ers EDU and 49ers PREP, to provide digital curriculum delivery models as well as video content to serve our community of students, teachers, and families in this time of need and throughout 2020. Learn more and donate.
If you’re looking for a little inspiration, check out this list of creative ways to stay connected – from thanking essential workers to supporting small businesses to tackling loneliness – and follow this global map that is tracking acts of generosity.
