
It’s no surprise this pandemic has affected all of us. Everyone has been impacted by COVID-19 in one way or another.

In times of crisis, it’s important to help. It’s important to give back.
There’s a passage from Matthew 25 that comes to mind:
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
I’ve come up with a list of ways to give back to your community during this time. Bonus: half of them are free.
10 Ways to Give Back During the Pandemic
1. Donate Blood – Look up some locations near you, HERE. This is something free to do and SO HELPFUL during this worldwide crisis. They’re experiencing a blood donation shortage right now and every donation helps.
2. Support Local Restaurants – Need a break from cooking your 8,463rd meal? Go grab food from a local restaurant! They’re missing their patrons more than ever! Support their business AND don’t worry about cooking. Win/win! Here are some awesome local places to check out: Pepe’s, Fest, Perly’s, and The Flying Pig.
3. Donate to a Food Bank – Redeemer Lutheran Church has their very own food bank. Any donation can help feed a local family! Contact Becky Wade for more information!
4. Donation to an Animal Shelter – Animals need love too! Shelters are in need of food and supplies to continue caring for these furry friends.
5. Make Cards for People at Nursing Homes – Due to social distancing, nursing homes are full of lonely seniors now more than ever. Creating a sweet card can go a long way to brighten their day!
6. Provide Gift cards for First Responder Meals – As much as First Responders love the homemade goodies people in the community make for them, do to health and safety reasons, they are not allowed to consume them. Don’t worry, though. You can still make them feel loved by giving them a grocery gift card (they pay for and cook their own meals on shift) or a restaurant gift card!
7. Send Meals to Health Care Workers – Call up your local hospital and donate meals to the healthcare workers on the front line during the COVID-19 Pandemic. They’re working tirelessly around the clock to take care of people in need. What better way to show them support than to gift them a meal!
8. Make Cards for Teachers – Your kid’s teachers miss their students so much! I’m sure your kids miss their teachers too. Want to put a smile on their faces? Have your kids bust out their best Picasso skills and craft a card to mail to their teacher.
9. Grocery Shop for Seniors – We all know that no one is safe from the Corona Virus. However, people who are elderly have a higher chance of contracting this virus. You can offer to pick up groceries for your elderly neighbor or even do a Kroger Click-list for your grandparents! Anything is helpful and I’m sure they would appreciate it!
10. Check in on Each Other – This is so very simple, yet can often be overlooked. Sometimes a simple text message saying, “How are you really doing during all of this?” can be just the support a friend needs to get through their day. Knowing they’re not alone can really boost their spirit and is such a simple task. 🙂
There ya go! 10 different ways to give back to your community during this time! If you have any other suggestions, I’d love to hear them! I can always do a Part 2 to this post!
Take care and stay healthy!