Do you need something? Let us know.
Someone battling the disease? Contact us if you or someone you know is on the front-lines of battle against the disease and they or their family could use a card of encouraging prayer. Hospital staff and families of the sick are particularly high priority right now.
Anxiety? Isolation? Contact us or join one of our events – now all online – to connect with others.
Artist in a world without artistic institutions? Contact us to find networks of other artists and/or ways to serve.
Senior needing groceries? One of my friends started a grassroots effort to safely drop off groceries for seniors: Delivernyc.org
RESOURCES TO HELP NYC:
MAKE SOMETHING:
Need a lighthearted start of quick, encouraging art? Stick a rainbow in your window to join The Rainbow Connection: https://secretnyc.co/rainbows-in-windows-nyc-map/
Feeling a little more committed? Design a small, encouraging doodle or hand-lettered Scripture, sign it with a note of love and send it our way, and we’ll pass it forward to someone who needs it! We’re writing cards for a network of our neighbors who are hurting or vulnerable.
Still want to do more? Sew a mask or a bunch of masks and send it our way. Our hospital staff can’t use them at this point, but our neighbors sure could, and hopefully that might free them up to donate the masks that the hospitals can use!
GIVE SOMETHING:
Buy dinner for our medical staff! Venmo at least $13 to buy dinner for a medical staff to @robyn-nagorsky, with “NYC hospital” as the reason. Robyn’s sister works in the COVID unit at NYU Langone. $13 supports one dinner + tip to the hourly worker making the delivery) She will be sure to include you on the thank you note to the department.
Gift an artsy item off the following Amazon wishlist to an isolated NYC senior citizen in need! https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/22U3Z7Z8RD5LE…
Help fund grassroots efforts to get masks from China. https://www.gofundme.com/f/one-mask-at-a-time?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=m_pd+share-sheet&fbclid=IwAR2sfJ_A8KL7vvw_lR6hYC7Kyo95KyWgUgTHSmNYqF5Bba50NMNjq4JKafA
SEND MEDICAL EQUIPMENT. There is no way that you need PPE as badly as medical staff need it right now. You can sew your own materials, and that should be sufficient and safe for you; make your own, donate whatever you have stocked up. I can get the supplies to doctors and nurses on the front-lines here, or you can mail unopened boxes of manufactured equipment directly to: @Mt Sinai East:
Korgun Maral
10 East 101st Street, NY, NY 10029
Attn: COVID SUPPLIES DONATION OSDC
212-241-6879
@Elmhurst Hospital:
elmhurstauxiliary@nychhc.org
RAISE YOUR VOICE:
Sign a petition: https://getusppe.org/getmeppe/
CALL your Congressmen and reiterate to them the needs of medical staff to have Personal Protective Equipment and more of the newly-manufactured ventilators. In particular, please mention NYC hospitals; our shortages are disproportionately terrible. Doctors say we will be OUT of JUST BASIC PPE (latex gloves, shoe covers, surgical masks) likely in a matter of days.
COMMIT TO PRAY for New York City’s hospital staff every single day. Let us know and we will give you a particular name of a staff person to pray for. If you need somewhere to start, pray for my ER nurse friend Stef.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST:
If you had #COVID19 and have recovered you can help save a life. Your blood may contain antibodies that fight the virus and can help critically ill people. Mount Sinai is looking to screen you as a volunteer. Fill out this form to see if you are eligible: https://bit.ly/2vTHALk
And STAY. AT. HOME. If you’re needing fresh air, open your windows or go out while practicing social distancing in a VERY strict way. Wash your hands. Leave your shoes outside of your apartment. Wash or bag up your “outside” clothes and shower before touching anything else.
Try to give yourself two-week periods of home-stay so that even if you pick up the virus, you cannot unwittingly spread it to someone else, and minimize risk to ACTUALLY NECESSARY OUTINGS or outings that SERVE YOUR NEIGHBOR.
This is a devastatingly sneaky disease. Everyone who’s spread it didn’t believe that they had it. Lots of people are totally asymptomatic. Assume you have it.
If you’re getting bored and isolated feeling, we really will do our best to try to help. We love you and know that this is a confusing and sad time. Feel free to grieve. But do it responsibly; don’t trust your own heart or body to know what’s right when the consequences could be so devastating for people around you.