Concerned About COVID-19? Here are 4 Initiatives You Can Support Today
By: Benilde Hifi
Tags: Philippines, Benilde Hifi, Covid 19, Innovation, Benilde

With COVID-19 sweeping throughout the nation, citizens are advised to stay home, wash their hands, and observe social distancing. Due to differences in economic conditions, plenty of people now find themselves in precarious situations and need help more than ever.

Thankfully, there are various initiatives run by concerned, compassionate, and heart-driven individuals who are committed to combatting the effects of COVID-19 — four of which are spearheaded by our very own Future Shapers fellows:

1. COVID Heroes

The Initiative:

Future Shapers Fellow Enrique San Juan shared about COVID Heroes, which is brought to us by the folks at SEED4COM, who reached out to the Manila Protective Gear Sewing Club and brought together up to 50 sewers to produce personal protective equipment (PPEs). These are to be donated to our frontliners in district and smaller hospitals in Cebu. They tap displaced RTW factory workers and home based sewers, women ecopreneurs from Looc Lapu-lapu, Casili, Mandaue, as well as tailors from Mambaling and Urgello Cebu City to make PPEs and mask fabrics so they can keep earning during the lockdown.

How to Help:

They’d appreciate any help from donors who’d like to contribute to their fund raising efforts, influencers who could get the word out about their fundraising and donation drives, accountants who can help monitor and audit all the donations, partners who could help source the materials/funding for them, and transportation partners who can deliver the finished PPEs from production sites to the hospitals that need them.

Contact Details: COVID Heroes Dann Diez 0956 183 9600 seed4com@gmail.com FB: https://www.facebook.com/SEED4Com

2. OhMyGoodness!

The Initiative:

Enrique also shared another project by SEED4COM called OhMyGoodness! which raises funds to donate grocery bags to SEED4COM’s families of fisherfolk and farmers from island and upland communities. This effort provides them with at least 2 weeks of supplies enough for a family of 4–5 people — a big relief now that quarantines are keeping everyone home.

How to Help:

They could use some help from web specialists who can build an online store for their Food Bags and Hygiene Kits, groups that can help mobilize the distribution of said bags and kits, farmers who wish to participate by supplying vegetables for said food bags, and partners that can assist with the assembly of their food bags, as well as any additional funding or manpower.

Contact Details:

OhMyGoodness Enrique San Juan Co-Founder | CMO OhMyGenie! 09335327652 enrique.sanjuan@ohymgenie.ph FB: https://www.facebook.com/ohmygenieph

3. AccessiWheels

The Initiative:

For some people, the lockdown is less of a prolonged inconvenience and more of a life-threatening reality. Patients who require regular medical procedures like a dialysis have options for travel now that trains, taxis, and pedicabs have been forced to cease operations.

With lives on the line, Future Shapers Fellow Miggy Bautista shared AccessiWheels’ initiative where they bridge these patients in critical need with brave volunteer drivers who own cars to offer free pick-ups and drop-offs.

Below are the results of their operations from March 20 to April 12, 2020:

12 Volunteer Drivers with Recorded Trips

12 Cities/Towns: QC, Caloocan, Makati, Marikina, Manila, Bacoor, Las Piñas, Mandaluyong, Pasay, Tanauan & San Jose (Batangas), San Pablo (Laguna)

40 Patients and Health Workers

176 TRIPS* Made (>1700 km of travel)

Php12,250 received as donations (distributed to drivers for fuel, face masks, etc. allowance)

1 City Partnership: Pasig City (already served 41 Patients)

How to Help:

If you’re interested in helping, they are still looking for volunteer drivers, donors of PPE for the drivers, donations for fuel allowances, etc.

Interested driver volunteers can find more information here: https://www.facebook.com/accessiwheels/photos/a.492079511592918/638334123634122/

Contact Details: AccessiWheels 09335327652 accessiwheels@gmail.com FB: https://www.facebook.com/accessiwheels/

4. #MHTalks by MentalHealthPH

The Initiative:

With the quarantine imposing prolonged periods of isolation on the general populace, it appears that another sinister threat began rearing its ugly head. Mental health issues, brought about by the pileup of financial, professional, and social stressors, is a huge risk for everyone as we find ourselves facing a new “normal” that few have anticipated.

In response to this, Future Shapers Fellow Roy Dahildahil shared with us how MentalHealthPH started #MHTalks — an online talk series designed to help educate the public on how to take care of their mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic, in partnership with The Medical City — Department of Psychiatry.

How to Help:

Should you wish to help, MentalHealthPH is welcoming the assistance of contributors for content re: mental health considerations during COVID-19 (i.e. volunteer as creatives, editor, web developer, researcher). As part of their efforts, they’re also on the lookout for web partners to help them design and develop tech that bridges the gaps in mental health care during this crisis with COVID-19. The web partners they need include UI designers, front-end developers, backend developers, and a business analyst.

Contact Details:

Name: Roy Dahildahil Email: rdahildahil@mentalhealthph.org FB: Facebook.com/mentalhealthph

Twitter: Twitter.com/mentalhealthph

Youtube: Youtube.com/mentalhealthph

This is your chance to help out!

If you’re able to help or contribute to the above initiatives, don’t hesitate to get in touch through their respective contact details. During a crisis like this, the impact we’ll have on our own can make a good difference in people’s lives — so imagine what we can accomplish when we work together.

If you’ve observed other another problem that you’d like to launch an initiative for, and you feel that you just need an extra push, send us a message via our Facebook Page and let’s see what we can do (https://www.facebook.com/hifi.futureshapers/)!