Amid panic buying so severe that some cities, such as Toronto, are allowing retailers to receive deliveries 24/7, some people and businesses are reaching out to each other in times of crisis.
According to an article in The Guardian, mutual aid societies are being formed in the UK to help the vulnerable in the communities get through the pandemic. “The idea is to support people who are self-isolating, especially people without nearby family, elderly people, and people with a disability or long-term health condition such as cancer, diabetes and chronic lung disease. Many people will feel anxious about coronavirus and local support groups can provide a vital boost to morale,” said the article. COVID-19 Mutual Aid UK, a network of volunteer-run efforts, has 208 groups set up online, coordinating across social media apps such as Facebook and WhatsApp to help those in self isolation with small tasks such as grocery shopping, dog walking or picking up prescriptions.
“No matter what we look like, where we live, or how much money we have, getting sick reminds us that at our core we’re all just human. And in every country it’s the old, the sick and those already struggling who will be affected worse,” said Anna Vickerstaff, one of the coordinators of the national network. “That’s why we set this network up — because we want to make sure that no one in our communities is being left to face this crisis alone, and because we want to try and redress some of the serious inequalities this outbreak will expose.”
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