How to Safely Volunteer During COVID

Nonprofits need help during this time when so many would-be volunteers are staying home instead of helping out.
If you have the volunteer spirit during the holidays and beyond, consider pitching in—safely. Here are five ideas:

Donate. Chances are, you’re spending some of your at-home time organizing closets and cleaning the basement or garage. Sort through your junk before having it hauled away to discover hidden treasures that you don’t want but that are in good shape and might be useful to others.

Most charities have bins for dropping off donations so you won’t come into contact with other people.

Organize a food drive. Set up a plastic bin on your porch and encourage your neighbors to fill it with nonperishable grocery items like soup, pasta, peanut butter and cereal. Every time it’s full, haul it to a local food bank that has a contactless system for accepting donations.

Visit a neighbor. If someone in your neighborhood is older or can’t get to the store, ask for a shopping list the next time you’re heading out for yourself. You can drop the items off on the neighbor’s porch instead of handing them off in person.

Take phone calls. You can volunteer at a crisis helpline from the safety of your home—via telephone. Many crisis centers are conducting virtual training for volunteers and routine calls to their home or mobile numbers.