How to Help Others During This Time

Hey babes, I know we’re all struggling in our own ways, some more than others, and we’re all trying to support each other however we can. One silver lining about this situation is how I’ve seen people stepping up to help others – and I think once we can all go about our normal lives, everyone will be little nicer to each other – I hope! While we’re social distancing and stuck inside, I wanted to offer a few ideas for those of you looking to help. Some cost money, some don’t, but I hope there’s something on this list that sounds good to you. PLEASE add any other ideas on how to help in the comments since I know I’m leaving a lot out. But this is what we’ve been doing so far…

Support small businesses

I have a post coming up soon on online services I’m loving more than ever right now and a lot of these are small businesses. We’ve all heard by now that the restaurant and local business industries are struggling, and while I know a lot of people are being conscious of spending, if you can, I suggest supporting these places. Because when all of this is over, we’ll still want to enjoy our local restaurants. We have so many good memories at local places and I’ve seen them all support other groups and businesses throughout the years, so now it’s our time to support them. While you obviously can’t go places to eat, lots of restaurants are offering curbside pick up, and you can always grab some gift cards to use later since it keeps their revenue up. We’ve been trying to support a few of our favorite local spots a couple times a week.

Same goes for your local hair and nail girls, house cleaners, gardeners, workout studio, or anyone who has been shut down during this time. Consider keeping up with any monthly subscriptions like to your gym or whatever even if you can’t go. Obviously only if you have the means, but I know place are worried about everyone canceling. A little goes a long way when we all try to support.

Be kind

Sounds like a no brainer but it’s even more necessary right now . With tensions running high and anxiety setting in, let’s all try to breathe and remember we are ALL in this together! It’s something we always try to instill in the kiddos and lately we’ve been talking about this more than ever. From waving when you see a neighbor to checking in on friends to being non-judgemental about how everyone’s handling things, I think being kind can go a long way right now. Best part is this doesn’t cost a damn thing!

Check-in

This kinda goes hand in hand with being kind. We’ve been FaceTiming like crazy which the kids have actually been loving. We celebrated Ava’s 8th birthday last week and called in the family as she blew out candles and opened presents. Obviously, this isn’t like the real thing but it makes everyone happy and lifts spirits. We’ve made sure to let the kids check-in with friends, too. I love the idea of checking in on your girls with a virtual happy hour too. And don’t forget about any friends or relatives who live alone as they’re probably extra lonely right now, or new mama’s who might be having a lot of anxiety.

Use your platform to help

I’ve loved seeing a lot of fellow bloggers share ways to help or businesses to support through this time.  I’m doing my part to share how to help and hope you girls are enjoying it. Even if you don’t have a large following, I think it’s important to speak up about ways to donate through organizations close to you, volunteer your services if you have ideas on homeschooling (send those my way!), ideas to keep kiddos busy, online workouts you’re into, etc. The news gives us all the stats we need so I think sharing things that are helping is something we could all use. Funny meme’s and videos count too because I have been LOVING those lately! I saw a winery stepping up to give back to some employees in the restaurant industry that got laid off so I reposted and gave away 5 cases of roses to help support their cause. Every repost you do (regardless of your following size) helps! If you see someone doing good please don’t be afraid to share! 

Shop for elders

Since elderly people are some of the most susceptible right now, I know a lot of older people are scared to go to the store or to really leave their house. Since they probably aren’t familiar with online shopping either, they don’t have many options other than to go to the store themselves, which isn’t necessary if we can all help. If you’re out grabbing essentials for your family, pick up a few extra things for someone else who might need them and drop them off. Meals on Wheels is also another great organization that you can donate too or even door dash a hot meal to them too!

Thank those still working

We did this around Christmas time and decided to do it again a week or so ago. The kids loved putting together a little goodie box for delivery people and while not everyone’s grabbing treats, the THANK YOU sign hopefully lets them know we appreciate them. Same goes for grocery store workers, nurses, mail people, farmers, or ANYONE who is still working to support us all at home through this. You can leave a Starbucks gift card or any gift cards you have laying around in the mailbox or outside your door for mailmen/delivery people, too, which I think is cute. When we’re in the clear, definitely want to think of some fun ways to thank these people even more.

Alright girls, how else can we be helping right now? Please share!