Volunteer work continued even during the COVID-19 pandemic. It didn’t stop people from wanting to do their part. According to Google Trends, the phrase ‘how can I help’ was one of the most searched questions in 2020. That shows that many people still want to do something even if the situation is hard for everyone.
You may be one of the many people who see that the situation is bad and want to volunteer. However, it’s also understandable that you’d be wary of physical work because of the virus. The good thing is that you can participate in virtual volunteer work. Even though you are not actually there, the work you do will help charities and organizations get the funding and support they need.
Volunteer your media skills
If you have any skills or talents in art or content writing, you can offer help in charities and nonprofit organizations. Viewerships and follows are extremely important for these organizations because they find more volunteers and donations. Before the pandemic, they make their presence known through actions and physical booths. However, that’s not possible during a pandemic.
Because of the current situation, they need to get their message across through the internet. That’s where your skills come in. You can volunteer your graphic design or writing skills to help them catch the attention of people. Creatives are great for social media, where people often scroll past and stop for eye-catching pics.
When it comes to having advocacies shown, writing is a great way to help others understand their cause. Some people need some convincing before they realize the importance of a certain charity or organization. The messaging is important to really get the support of others.;
What’s great about this is that you hardly need to spend or anything. Even someone with a simple Dell computer can volunteer their abilities. You may not think that your skills contribute much, but it actually makes a world of difference.
Share donation and fundraiser links
Similarly, social media presence can help give light to those that need help. Established organizations and charities likely have a team to help them, but individuals who need assistance cannot. In fact, most of them don’t even have access to the internet. Thankfully, there are a lot of amazing people out there who solve that problem for them.
Many people are sharing donation links and instructions to people and families that need assistance. If you don’t have money to donate yourself, something that you can do to help is to share these links to people you know who can. A lot of people actually compile all these links in a single post or thread for easier access.
As an individual, it may seem like a small task, but it actually accumulates. The more people who see it, the more it teaches individuals and organizations to make huge donations.
Be part of the support team
A big issue that people are facing today is that they cannot go to the support services they need. Therapists and social workers cannot go to their individual houses for their own safety. Because of this, there is a growing need for people to answer their hotlines. Calls and emails are the most accessible thing today, but the influx of people is overwhelming the services.
The Crisis Text Line said that their volumes increased by 40 percent during the pandemic. They receive about 100,000 conversations a month. Many people are in a dangerous situation and need immediate assistance. If they are unable to get their call across, who knows when they’ll get the chance.
This is why it is essential to have lines open and available at all times. Every person volunteering counts. The teams handling these lines need to be able to respond at any time of the day. Volunteering in these support teams isn’t just about answering calls. You will most likely be given a set of things to do when you sense something is wrong. Some of them might not be in a mentally good place, so your initiative and sixth sense come into play here.
If you are a professional like a lawyer, specific organizations offer free advice online. You can give those a try too and offer your expert opinion. Many of them cannot afford a legal or medical expert in normal situations.