Help with COVID-19 pandemic

The catastrophic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic affect all of us, regardless of our age, sex and social status. While it is imperative to follow official guidelines on social distancing and personal hygiene, there is also room to help each other by supporting or creating helpful initiatives in our communities. What you see below is a non-exhaustive list of opportunities that we have at hand. As this is a constantly evolving situation, we expect this list to change over time. If you feel there are helpful initiatives that should be listed here, please contact us to bring them to our attention (scimemia@gmail.com). #apartnotalone

• A guide to virtual volunteering opportunities put together by the United Way of the Dutchess-Orange Region - For those interested in staying involved in volunteerism while staying home.

• American red cross blood donation - Due to the coronavirus outbreak, there is a critical need for blood. Please schedule an appointment to donate.

• Donate personal protective equipment - If you are a business that uses personal protective equipment (PPE) such as N-95 masks, surgical masks, disposable Nitrile gloves or protective eyewear, please consider donating a box or two to your local hospital to help ensure the continued safety of the clinical care team as they fight the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

• List of distilleries making hand sanitizers instead of spirits - According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the best way to clean your hands is to wash with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If that option is not available, they suggest using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that has at least 60% alcohol. The rush to stockpile sanitizer has caused a national shortage, so distilleries have come to the rescue.

• Feed Albany - Feed Albany provides at-risk and in-need individuals in Albany, New York and the Greater Capital Region with access to prepared & packaged meal solutions by utilizing commercial kitchens, unemployed restaurant workers, volunteers and the use of donated vehicles to produce, package and distribute prepared meal solutions.

• Misfits - Almost half of the food grown by farmers in this country is never sold, but eating healthy keeps getting more expensive. This is a cycle of food waste that needs to end, and there’s a very simple solution to this very ugly problem. Eat Misfits Market.

• COVID-19 response Fox Creek Farm - As we are all finding ourselves in the midst of the epic COVID-19 public health crisis, Fox Creek Farm is announcing HOME DELIVERIES for all 2020 CSA shares. This is the best we can do to protect our diverse CSA membership. We're all in this together - please stay safe & healthy!

• Meals to heal - In response to the crisis we are all facing, Marrello Restaurants has created a program that provides meals across the Capital Region to local nurses, doctors, first responders and all front line heroes.

• Make a donation to UAlbany students - As part of our COVID-19 response, the University is focusing all current fundraising on the direct support of students in need. The central focus of these efforts is the Student Emergency Fund, which provides immediate relief to meet the needs of students. Thank you in advance for investing in UAlbany students.

• UAlbany - CEHC Community 3D Printing for Covid-19 Relief - As cases of COVID-19 rise in New York State, students, faculty and staff at UAlbany are taking initiative to help meet shortages in personal protective equipment. Through this project, members of the UAlbany community help 3D printing face shields for frst responders across the state. This initiative has been highlighted by News10ABC, CBS6News, YahooNews.

• Unshattered - Unshattered's mission is to end relapse by providing employment and job skills training for women in recovery from addiction. As of 3/20 we have shifted our operations from making handbags from up-cycled materials to making face masks to fulfill the urgent shortage in NY state. We have worked with a physician from Vassar Brothers Medical Center to approve the design and materials we are using in these face masks.

more to come!