Greetings, readers!

Welcome back to the blog that’s dedicated to highlighting the good work being done by the nonprofit community in San Diego and Orange Counties!

We are experiencing strange times right now, as the Coronavirus wreaks havoc on life as we know it. Over here at The Village Visionary, we’ve had to delay some upcoming posts and have had some of our immediate plans foiled, a circumstance that anyone reading this can likely resonate with right now. As frustrating as this may be, all hope is not lost! There are still ways that we can support our nonprofit community and our neighborhoods, even now, and even from our homes. If you’re feeling restless, bored, anxious, or depressed, consider jumping in to help your neighbors in one of the following ways. Helping someone else is a sure way to lift your spirits and, more importantly, make a positive impact. And if you know of additional ways to help, please share them in the comments!

Volunteering Opportunities in San Diego During the Coronavirus Crisis

1. DONATE FOOD. Food banks are struggling to keep up with demand as the grocery stores and businesses they rely on for supplies are getting hit hard themselves. Along the same lines, many kids of struggling families out there rely on school lunches for sustenance and are now at a loss with schools being closed. Donating food and money to an organization such as Feeding San Diego is one way to lend a hand.

2. GIVE BLOOD. Blood drives are among the many events being canceled during this time, but the need for blood is still ever-present. Make an appointment with the San Diego Blood Bank here.

3. SEW OR REPAIR PROTECTIVE FACE MASKS FOR MEDICAL PERSONNEL. As we’ve all heard, our medical community is suffering a shortage of personal protective equipment, including face masks. You can help! JoAnn Fabrics has set a goal to donate 100 million masks to healthcare workers and they are entreating the help of the public! You can find instructions and resources on their website.

Similarly, Rock Church San Diego is undertaking the great task of repairing the elastic straps on 300,000 respirator masks for local healthcare facilities, and they need volunteers. Volunteers will be screened for health, but if you are eligible, sign up for a shift at their Point Loma location.

4. DONATE MONEY. There are many campaigns popping up to help people directly effected by the Coronavirus and not being able to go to work during this time. One such campaign is the joint effort of the Stand Together Foundation and the Family Independence Initiative. They’ve started an emergency fund for families hit by the crisis. You can contribute at www.givetogethernow.org.

You could also consider donating to the California Restaurant Association Foundation to help provide relief to restaurant workers who have no way to earn a living during this time.

5. OFFER YOUR PROFESSIONAL SKILLS AND BECOME A VIRTUAL VOLUNTEER. Many nonprofits could really use remote help at this time for a wide variety of tasks, ranging from tutoring, consulting, graphic or web design, writing, making calls…when it comes to opportunities to serve remotely, the world is your oyster! If you’re stuck at home and unable to go to work, why not use your skills and free time on behalf of a nonprofit? Organizations like Catchafire and VolunteerMatch are incredible resources with endless opportunities ready and waiting for you right now! So what are you waiting for? You’ll only have today once. Make the most of it!!

If you like the images accompanying this story and would like to explore how visual storytelling could help your organization share the heart of its mission, please visit my website, www.soulvoyagerstudios.com, or send me an email at soulvoyagerstudios@gmail.com. To receive each blog post in your inbox when it is posted, as well as regular content regarding visual storytelling and inspiring ways to make a difference in this world, subscribe to my newsletter below!