“To give away money is an easy matter and in any one's power. But to decide whom to give it, how large and when, for what purpose and how, is neither in everyone's power nor easy as a matter.”
The aftermath of COVID-19 has been immense, however as the holiday season comes to a close charities and NGOs are struggling to provide essential supplies to individuals. Though the holidays have always been a time of giving, the pandemic's presence has prompted individuals to become more wary of donating. Over the course of the past year, the world has faced mass unemployment, economic recessions, businesses closures and halts in the production of basic goods. This has reduced both the supplies and financial support received by all organizations. However, charities are not the only ones struggling with donations during these unprecedented times.
Over the course of the holiday season I directed a donation drive for a charity called ‘The TeddyBear Brigade’. The organization concerns themselves with donating teddy bears to children in challenging situations, whether that be from living in abusive homes, living in war torn regions or struggling within other detrimental environments. I faced many obstacles, one being the collation of the stuffed animals themselves. This proved challenging as guidelines and regulations for donations had been strengthened, this therefore reduced the donations which were received. Furthermore, sanitation guidelines meant the cleaning of items would have to be more thorough and thus taking more time to complete. However, the greatest obstacle I faced was the physical donation of the supplies which had been collected. Many donation centers have been closed and others within the area have ceased to collect any physical donations, despite the growing need for the supplies which people have to offer. This obligated me to drive over three hours to hand in the donations.
How can something so essential as donating be so difficult to actually achieve? The truth is I don't know, and frankly I don't understand. If it were up to me donations would be much better facilitated by the community, and we would have more donation centers. Despite the limitations and restrictions we currently face, donations are a pivotal part of every community. There will always be someone without a bed, someone going hungry and others who sit in freezing temperatures during the cold winter season. In January of 2019 the Department of Housing and Urban Development reported that an estimated minimum of 6,521 were experiencing homelessness on any given day. Nevertheless, these figures are sure to have substantially increased as a result of Covid-19 over the past year.
So how can I actually help? In Spite of these barriers there remains a lot which can be done. Organizations are desperate for financial assistance to keep their doors open. By cause of governmental redirection of funds towards the vaccine, many government solutions towards fixing societal issues has been temporarily drawn to a halt. Not only has financial support from the government faced notable reductions, but external support has slowed too. Despite this, donation remains important even if you can only offer a small amount, because if everyone gives a little we could create a lot.
There are many volunteer options available in DC such as: volunteering downtown to bring food to soup kitchens or partaking in other local charities. But if you wish not to leave the comfort of your home, donating clothes is another way to aid your community.
Editor: Minna Abdel-Gawad
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