More Ways to go All In

Blood Donations

Due to the Coronavirus pandemic there is a shortage of blood throughout the country. Potential blood donors are exempt from Stay at Home order in Washington as an essential health service. Please contact either Bloodworks NW or American Red Cross to schedule a donation time on their websites below after reviewing the health criteria to be sure you qualify.  They are only accepting scheduled appointments at this time.

Support Local Businesses

Local businesses and restaurants are suffering terribly from the impact of COVID-19. There are several ways individuals can support, especially small businesses, during these times.

Order Take-Out or Delivery

The coronavirus pandemic has already had a devastating impact on independent and small restaurants, cafes and grocery stores. The Intentionalist Takeout and Delivery Directory makes it easy to find and support businesses in your local community, especially women-owned, LBGTQ-owned, and other minority-owned establishments. They have also included information on temporary closures to help you navigate the available options.

Shop Online or Buy Gift Cards

If you are able, shop online or buy gift cards to be used later from your favorite local businesses and restaurants to support them during this tough time.

Connect With Your Neighbors  

Lend a Helping Hand

Reach out to your older or vulnerable neighbors to offer to pick up essentials from the pharmacy or grocery store, or perhaps provide them with a safe meal drop off. Perhaps you can offer to take their dog for a walk if they are concerned about going outside.

Be a Virtual “Guest Speaker”

Many parents of young children are finding themselves in the unexpected position of homeschooling. Reach out to parents you know and offer to read a virtual story or teach a fun lesson about something you find interesting to their child. 

Letter Writing to Seniors

Due to COVID-19, many seniors are feeling isolated and lonely in senior centers. Reach out to senior centers in your area to inquire about letter-writing. Alternatively, take a look at Love for the Elderly’s existing national program along with their guidelines for letter writing.

Acts of Kindness

Plant a flower pot and leave a little spring love on a neighbor’s porch. Just make sure to follow recommendations from the Washington State Health Department on social distancing.

Consider giving small gift cards to surprise people like your cashier at the grocery store, kind delivery people or people working at the drive through coffee window. 

Please also tip your delivery service providers well!

Medical Supplies

Help With Needed PPE Supply Donations

There is a shortage of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for our community’s healthcare workers.  Please donate if you have access to PPE to protect the people on the front lines who are trying to keep all of our community healthy. More information can be found on the Governor’s website.

Find the Masks

Find the Masks website can help you find where to donate your masks or other personal protective equipment (PPE) in your local area.

Days for Girls' Masks4Millions Campaign

Days for Girls is a global nonprofit that is tapping into their network of people who sew, and have pivoted making face masks for hospitals and clinics. If you're looking for a project, visit their website to learn more about how to get involved.

Seattle Mask Brigade

The Seattle Mask Brigade will collect unused masks around the Seattle area to be distributed to health care workers who need them. They also have volunteer opportunities (for those who are not in an at-risk group nor live with anyone who is) to help with collection and distribution of masks. Click here for more info.

Crafters Against COVID-19

Crafters Against COVID-19 is a Facebook group of sewers making masks to fulfill requests from health care organizations and others. If you have a sewing machine and some basic skills, you can help in a big way. Join the group to learn more about creating masks for medical centers, hospice organizations, homelessness workers, etc. in the Seattle-area.

Volunteering

United Way of King County

United Way of King County brings caring people together to give, volunteer and take action to help people in need and solve our community’s toughest challenges.  They have aggregated a list of volunteer opportunities to support urgent community needs. Click here for more info.

Seattle-area COVID-19 Mutual Aid

This is an all-volunteer grassroots group operating in Duwamish and Coast Salish Territories. We are prioritizing serving folks who are sick, disabled, quarantined with out pay, elderly, undocumented, queer, black, indigenous and/or people of color. Go to their website to fill out the form to sign up to volunteer to provide grocery and supply delivery in the Seattle area.

Big Thanks

Big Thanks is about productive gratitude and provides practical tips, opportunities, and uplifting stories of expressions of gratitude that can be done safely and productively during this crisis. We hope by doing so, we equip people to take even more action to ease this crisis. To learn more click here.

Seattle Works

Seattle Works has aggregated a number of resources to help connect people looking to provide support, as well as volunteer and donation opportunities. To learn more click here.

Northwest Harvest

Northwest Harvest is in urgent need of healthy volunteers. They have open volunteer shifts at our four locations across the state:  Kent, Yakima, and Spokane Distribution Centers and at SODO Community Market. To learn more click here.  

Washington State Department of Health

The Department of Health is supporting enrollment and activation of emergency volunteer health practitioners for the COVID-19 response. The department can do this under the authority of the Uniform Emergency Volunteer Health Practitioner Act (Chapter 70.15 RCW).  Under RCW 70.15.050, while an emergency proclamation of the Governor is in effect, a volunteer health practitioner who is licensed in another state may practice in Washington without obtaining a Washington license if he or she is in good standing in all states of licensure and is registered in the volunteer health practitioner system. These emergency volunteers will help meet emerging demands for health practitioners in areas impacted by COVID-19. Click here for more info.

More Resources to Explore

Parent Map
https://www.parentmap.com/article/coronavirus-resources-organizations-families

Philanthropy NW
https://philanthropynw.org/news/philanthropy-northwests-response-covid-19-outbreak 

Seattle Times 
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/want-to-donate-to-coronavirus-causes-in-seattle-heres-how-to-help/