This article was originally published in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
By Bob Batz, Jr. | March 27, 2020
The COVID-19 crisis is increasing opportunities for volunteering but also limiting them, and in sometimes surprising ways that nonprofit groups are still working out.
For the first time in decades, for example, the state Fish and Boat Commission announced last month that volunteers would not be allowed to help with the seasonal stocking of trout in streams. The idea is to prevent people from spreading the virus to each other, even in an outdoor setting.
That’s not to say that those who want to help out can’t do anything, but it is more complicated than it might have been in previous crises.
Pennsylvania’s stay-at-home orders restrict getting out and about in Allegheny County and other populous places, but Gov. Tom Wolf’s allowable activities for individuals include: “Getting necessary services or supplies for themselves, for their family or household members, or as part of volunteer efforts, or to deliver those services or supplies to others to maintain the safety, sanitation, and essential operation of residences.”
Pittsburgh Cares, an umbrella group that connects volunteers with causes to help, still is figuring out how to help that happen safely.
The group notes atop its COVID-19 page-in-progress, pittsburghcares.org/covid19, “We are deferring judgment for all volunteer needs and projects to our nonprofit, school and corporate partners until further notice.”
Working from home, its small staff was working to keep its calendar of volunteer opportunities updated while acknowledging that its partners’ schedules and needs are in flux.
“We are working with nonprofits that are seeing an increase in need to identify safe ways for volunteers to support the community and exploring opportunities for virtual support,” the site notes. “Please stay tuned for more information as we work through these new situations.”
One thing the group quickly realized, said Pittsburgh Cares Executive Director Amanda Trocki, was that it needed to take care of its older volunteers as well as higher-risk seniors in the community.
About a week ago, the group signed up volunteers to be “buddies” for them, and so far, more than 180 have.
Meanwhile, the group is stressing that nonprofits must screen volunteers who are ill or may have been exposed to the virus. Likewise, the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania is continuing to encourage people who want to help, but stresses on its website, “Stay at home if you’re sick.”
The United Way site says volunteers should follow other health-related recommendations, such as calling ahead when delivering food or other supplies and leaving them at the door to be picked up to avoid person-to-person proximity. And of course, wash your hands.
The United Way advises seeking opportunities involving groups of 10 or fewer, and to embrace “solo volunteering” — delivering food to a neighbor, distributing fliers — because that accomplishes social distancing while “helping people to feel connected.”
The organization is updating volunteer opportunities at uwswpa.org/be-a-volunteer. These include “virtual volunteering” — making calls to seniors for North Hills Community Outreach and Wesley Family Services and being a pen pal for YWCA.
Wendy Koch, the director of volunteer engagement for the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania, said Thursday that many groups are shifting to offer more such noncontact opportunities, which also allow people confined to their own homes to help.
There are many people who are off work and at home suddenly find themselves free and wanting to volunteer, she noted. “The needs are still out there; they’re just very specific in this environment.”
Cranberry on Thursday launched a Community Response Team of residents willing to chip in to “help make the day a little brighter.” Nearly 30 people signed up the first day, even though they were required to undergo a health screening and sign a waiver.
“It’s more volunteers than people who need help,” spokeswoman Stephanie Fedko said, adding: “People are awesome.”
Those people are on a spreadsheet as willing to pick up and deliver goods, make and deliver CARE packages, pick up school materials, drop off prescriptions — basically, to do whatever they’re asked to do.
Other volunteers or people who need help can connect at cranberrytownship.org/CRT or by calling 724-776-4806. The team also is accepting donations to buy reloadable gift cards for volunteers to buy essential goods for people in need.
Ms. Fedko knows several big churches in the area also are marshaling forces of volunteers.
In the South Hills, too, neighbors were making less formal arrangements to help each other via social media.
Three South Park friends — Jamie Christian, Stacie Kennelly and Sara-Summer Oliphant — started an effort called OHM, or Our Helping Meals, to support at-risk families and immune-compromised individuals during the pandemic. With support from AMPD Group restaurants and other partners, they’re putting healthy volunteers to work carefully packing and delivering food and meals, diapers and kids activities (call 412-334-8631 or email jamie.christian@ltbcsga.org).
Accepting donations
Established groups are adapting.
The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank this week stopped having big groups come to its Duquesne warehouse, but it kept up community distributions until Thursday, when it temporarily canceled those. It launched “a safe, efficient emergency drive-up food distribution model” starting Monday, and it will need volunteers for that.
Almost every organization is accepting donations, but those need not be just in the form of dollars.
Blood banks are extending their hours. Light of Life Rescue Mission seeks cleaning products and food. Ms. Trocki says Pittsburgh Cares is going to set up as a collection site for such things, which it will sanitize and distribute.
Pittsburgh Cares’ site offers something else people can do in the meantime: “Share hope.”
To that end, it has posters that people can print and place in their windows with messages including, “Thank you, frontliners” and “We’ll get through this, Pittsburgh.”
The United Way’s Ms. Koch noted that even after the crisis subsides, the impacts will continue for a long time, so would-be volunteers can take the long view. “There will be lots of ways for people to get involved and to be engaged.”
Bob Batz Jr.: bbatz@post-gazette.com, 412-263-1930 and on Twitter @bobbatzjr.
Correction: This article originally misspelled the name of Sara-Summer Oliphant.
