Here’s how you can help Pierce County service providers respond to coronavirus
The need is overwhelming.
Everywhere you turn, there are people, families, businesses and service organizations struggling because of the outbreak of COVID-19.
So how can you help, and how can your efforts do the most good?
It’s an understandable question, and one The News Tribune has certainly heard from readers in recent weeks.
It’s also a question that Robin Callahan, the vice president of philanthropy at Greater Tacoma Community Foundation, has been getting a lot lately.
The advice Callahan has been providing is blunt and sobering.
First, pick a critical service provider — any critical service provider — and, chances are, they’re hurting and in need of support.
Homeless shelters. Food banks. Blood banks. Any organization that provides things like “housing, food, or medical needs” probably needs help, Callahan said.
All of these organizations, Callahan noted, are “really serving at the front line at this time of crisis,” and even in the best of times, most “run with very narrow margins.”
“Right now there’s so much need, especially those organizations serving our most vulnerable,” Callahan said. “The folks without a safety net are really the hardest hit.”
It’s a bleak assessment, and, unfortunately, it’s also only part of the picture.
The inescapable reality is that “all nonprofits are going to be struggling,” Callahan said.
Organizations that in normal times rely on community financial support or volunteers are already taking a hit while the disruption caused by COVID-19 means everything from independent movie theaters to environmental organizations and low-cost spay and neuter clinics will be desperate to weather the storm and survive.
“Some,” Callahan said, “will just be trying to hang on until they can reopen,” while others will likely be in even worse shape.
All of this is why the advice Callahan provides to those looking to help is two-pronged.
People who want to help should focus on “immediate, urgent, life-saving needs,” Callahan urged, “and then they can give to the organizations and the people that they care about that are doing the work they love.”
Most need financial donations, and many will need volunteers, she said.
“I think at this time we’re going to see a lot of people stretching to give, because they see their neighbors hungry and hurting,” Callahan said. “It’s really a time, I think, when we as a nation we come together and see generosity in an unprecedented way, especially because this is just an unprecedented time of crisis.”
According to local nonprofit service providers, here are some ways you can help.
With Governor Jay Inslee’s recent stay-at-home order, it’s recommended that you call service providers for guidance on the best ways to donate.
Homeless shelters
According to Tacoma Rescue Mission, the COVID-19 outbreak has created a need for cleaning supplies, sanitizing wipes, masks, vinyl gloves and hand sanitizer.
The same holds true at the Nativity House shelter, according to Catholic Community Service’s Gerrity Nyland.
To safely serve meals, Tacoma Rescue Mission is asking for plastic utensils, napkins, sandwich bags and to-go boxes.
Nyland said Catholic Community Services is asking for individually packaged meals or frozen dinners for distribution at Nativity House as well as the Dome District stability site. This includes canned soups, chili and fruit, Nyland said.
Nyland also said his agency is beginning to run out of personal protective equipment, including masks and gloves, and also needs thermometers.
“While we are not a health care providers, we do have many vulnerable adults, and gloves and masks are key tools in keeping staff and guests safe,” Nyland said.
Meanwhile, many of the donations that homeless shelters always depend on — like hygiene supplies, clothing, socks, diapers, blankets and shoes — are needed now more than ever, both shelters said.
Volunteers are also needed.
Food banks
According to Nourish Pierce County CEO Sue Potter, the COVID-19 outbreak means the nonprofit will need to feed more hungry people and adapt the way it has operated for more than 40 years when it started as FISH Food Banks.
“We haven’t seen anything like this since the Recession of 2008 when our customer base increased by 132 percent,” Potter wrote on the nonprofit’s website.
“Last year, 66,000 Pierce County residents were served by Nourish. If history repeats itself, this number could double within weeks,” Potter continued. “What makes this more concerning is that with school closures, families will suddenly have unexpected child care costs, and as business slows, companies will be laying off employees. Nourish is preparing for a tidal wave.”
In addition to costs associated with purchasing more food, Potter said, coronavirus-related changes at Nourish Pierce County also will have a price.
The agency is seeking donations via its website.
The Emergency Food Network maintains a list of area food pantries on its website, including frequent coronavirus-related updates and notices of closures.
Donate blood
As The News Tribune recently reported, blood donations locally and nationally have fallen amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
As of last week, Pierce County’s blood supply was down by more than 40 percent, according Candace Morrison, a spokesperson for Tacoma-based Cascade Regional Blood Services.
The problem is exacerbated by the disruption. Over 60 percent of Pierce County blood donations come from blood drives at area high schools and colleges.
That said, Morrison told The News Tribune that more than 37 percent of Pierce County’s population is eligible to donate blood.
The problem?
Typically only 5 percent do, and that number has now fallen to 2 or 3 percent.
Volunteer
Potentially compounding the crisis, Callahan noted that many area nonprofits typically rely heavily on volunteers — and often those volunteers are retired, with their age making them potentially vulnerable to the virus.
So, on top of responding to the urgent problems related to the illness and the associated economic disruption, many nonprofits are also desperate for volunteers.
In response to the novel coronavirus and COVID-19, United Way of Pierce County has created an online resource listing volunteer opportunities.
According to United Way of Pierce County community impact manager Kelvin Ceasar, “Almost everyone needs volunteers and more funding, but that’s the nature of our work right now.”
General needs
According to Ceasar, United Way of Pierce County has surveyed community partners and compiled the following list of needs:
hand sanitizer
disinfecting wipes
latex gloves — all sizes
hygiene supplies
food packs/food drives
snack packs/snack drives
grocery/paper bags for food banks to fill with food for client pickup
quart and gallon-size Ziploc bags
diapers — all sizes
toilet paper
paper towels
baby wipes
small and medium-size boxes for food banks to pack food boxes for client pickup
United Way of Pierce County has created a website for those who would like to donate or volunteer, Ceasar said.
You can also call the main desk at 253 272 4263 and leave a message.
Philanthropic response
To help with the most immediate needs, Callahan said Greater Tacoma Community Foundation has partnered with United Way of Pierce County to launch the “Pierce County Connected” fund.
Created with $750,000 in seed money from Greater Tacoma Community Foundation, Callahan described the financial effort as an “aligned philanthropic response” intended to provide “immediate and urgent funding for the most immediate needs that are resulting from COVID-19.”
Working with area family foundations and other philanthropic groups, Callahan predicted that the fund will “grow substantially” in the coming weeks and months.
What else?
Know of a need that’s not included? Email matt.driscoll@thenewstribune.com.
This story was originally published March 24, 2020 at 5:05 AM.
