Kindness in Boston during coronavirus: How local communities and organizations are helping people impacted by the pandemic

As concerns over the spread of COVID-19 grow in the Boston area and beyond, communities are mobilizing to help those who need it most. Government officials are advising everyone to socially distance themselves and take precautionary measures amid the outbreak, which subsequently has changed daily life for residents and businesses in the entire state of Massachusetts (as well as the US and world). Locally, we have compiled an ever-growing list of the people, organizations, and communities who are rallying to help one another amid the pandemic. In some cases, there are volunteer opportunities as well.

Important links:

– The City of Boston's COVID-19 information page can be found here.

– The Commonwealth of MA’s COVID-19 info page can be found here.

– World Health Organization’s COVID-19 info page can be found here.

– The CDC’s COVID-19 info page can be found here.

– And for the most up-to-date information regarding COVID-19 in the Boston area, we recommend checking the most recently submitted links to reddit Boston here.

> RESOURCES

• Free daily update on COVID-19
Date: Ongoing
Info: The City of Boston is launching a new daily text service with updates and information regarding COVID-19. This is a free service with the latest developments and information related to the virus. Text the keyword BOSCOVID to phone #99411 to opt-in.

• Neighborhood Aid Network
Date: Until further notice
Info: Neighbors need to help neighbors right now, and this will be especially true for vulnerable populations like the elderly, or people who are quarantined. The Neighborhood Aid Network has a simple goal: Provide a central place where neighborhood digital platforms can aggregate and standardize and where volunteers receive information and training.
How you can help: Offer to help in your community via this website.

• Material distribution on coronavirus hosted by Mayor Walsh
Date: Sa, 3/21
Info: On Saturday, March 21st Mayor Walsh will be hosting a citywide distribution of important information related to the coronavirus. Information will be delivered to every home and it will be in multiple languages.
How you can help: Donate your time as a volunteer to help distribute information to homes in the city (social distancing will be ensured).

> MEALS

• Free breakfast & lunch for all Boston students
Date: Starting Tu, 3/17 until further notice
Info: BPS is providing free breakfast and lunch meals to all Boston students beginning Tuesday, March 17. Locations will be open Monday through Friday from 8:30–11:30am at the schools. View all locations here.
How you can help: Donate to food pantries in your area. See all food pantries here.

• Free meals for all youth and teens
Date: Starting Tu, 3/17 until further notice
Info: The City of Boston in partnership with Project Bread, YMCA of Greater Boston, Boston Centers for Youth and Families, and other community organizations are providing free meals to all youth and teens at various locations and times across the city. See all locations here.
How you can help: Donate to food pantries in your area. See all food pantries here.

• The Walk for Hunger COVID-19 Crisis Relief
Date: Su, 5/3
Info: As a result of the COVID-19 crisis, The Walk for Hunger event on May 3, 2020 is canceled. However, the fundraiser must go on—and is focused on rapid response to food insecurity being caused by the COVID-19 crisis.
How you can help: Create a fundraiser by registering as a "Virtual Walker" to help Project Bread reach the goal of $2 million for hunger relief.

• Community Servings gives meals to sick people at home
Date: Ongoing
Info: Community Servings, a non-profit that provides meals for people who are home-bound because of illness, is preparing extra home-delivered meals to serve its community who needs help the most.
How you can help: Make a donation to support their cause here.

• Daddy Jones providing free meals
Date: At least until April 6
Info: Although closed, Daddy Jones still offers their staff and families with children meals during the coronavirus crisis. They also donate food that could be wasted to help local pantries and neighbors.
How you can help: Buy a gift card to Daddy Jones here.

• 4GoodVibes providing free bagged lunch
Date: At least until April 6
Info: 4GoodVibes is providing free bagged lunches for any kid or family who needs it. Drop by anytime from 11am–5pm to pick up.
How you can help: Donate to help 4GoodVibes purchase food for kids and families in need here or buy a gift card to 4GoodVibes here.

• Pantry Pizza Kitchen giving free pizza slices to children
Date: Duration of school closings
Info: Pantry Pizza in Dorchester is giving away free pizza in light of local schools closing abrubtly.
How you can help: Order takeout or delivery from Pantry Pizza here.

• The Greater Boston Food Bank
Date: Ongoing
Info: The Greater Boston Food Bank is a food distribution facility that acquires and distributes millions of pounds of food for communities in need across Eastern Massachusetts.
How you can help: There are five ways you can help: see more details here.

• Meals for BPS kids via Food for the Soul
Date: Starting Su, 3/15 until further notice
Info: Food for the Soul and Violence in Boston Inc. are feeding BPS children daily during lunch from 12–2pm and dinner 5–8pm.
How you can help: Donations needed include toiletries, paper towels, tisuses, cleaning supplies, hand sanitizer & toilet paper. For drop-off location and online monetary donation, please visit this website.

• Feeding the Front Line
Date: Ongoing
Info: Feeding the Front Line launched to connect restaurants with communities in need amid coronavirus.
How you can help: Spread the word.

• Feed Cambridge Families
Date: Ongoing
Info: Reservoir Church has partnered with Cambridge Public Schools to lead a fundraising campaign to provide support to any family in need.
How you can help: Donate money or digital gift cards.

> HEALTH

• Pop-up clinics for treatment of homeless
Date: TBD
Info: Behind a Southhampton Street shelter, tents are being set up to serve homeless people. The heated tents will have bathrooms and showers, and space for 40 beds so people with symptoms can be separated from the shelter community and get the care they need.

• Red Cross urges healthy individuals to give blood
Date: Ongoing
Info: The American Red Cross strongly urges healthy, eligible individuals who are feeling well to give blood or platelets to help maintain a sufficient blood supply and prevent shortages as the coronavirus outbreak spreads.
How you can help: Make an appointment to donate blood now by visting this website.

• Donate masks or goggles to MA hospitals
Date: Ongoing
Info: MA hospitals are facing a shortage of medical supplies, including personal protective equipment. Cambridge Health Alliance asks for the public to consider donating safety goggles.
How you can help: Drop off donated items (24/7) with CHA Public Safety at the main entrance of Cambridge, Everett and Somerville hospitals. More details here.

• Drive-thru testing in Somerville
Date: Starting We, 3/18
Info: As the coronavirus pandemic reaches Massachusetts, some health care providers in the state have started offering “drive-thru testing” for COVID-19. Due to continued limited availability of tests, patients must meet federal criteria and be existing CHA primary care patients to be eligible for testing.

• Life sciences and healthcare organizations to donate supplies to fight COVID-19
Date: Starting We, 3/18
Info: MassBio is launching the Massachusetts Life Sciences Emergency Supply Hub to help coordinate efforts to try and bring additional supplies and resources to our state’s healthcare institutions so they can continue to test and treat patients with COVID-19.
How you can help: Spread the word about this survey.

• Middlesex Human Service Agency
Date: Ongoing
Info: The mission of Middlesex Human Service Agency, Inc. is to improve the quality of life and independent functioning of a wide variety of clients through the delivery of an extensive system of community-based substance abuse and social service programs.
How you can help: Every donation to MHSA helps provide emergency services to the most vulnerable families and individuals. Donate to MHSA here.

> RESTAURANTS & BARS

• Emergency funds for Boston area service workers
Date: Ongoing
Info: Gabby Bonfiglio and Emily Beaulieu of Boston have set up this fundraiser for local bartenders, kitchen staff, baristas, waitresses/waiters, hostesses/hosts, and barbacks.
How you can help: Donate any amount and funds will be distributed every Monday through Venmo and PayPal.

• Free &pizza for hospital workers
Date: Starting Mo, 3/16
Info: All hospital workers just need to show their hospital IDs to get a free pizza. &pizza will also deliver if the hospital workers cannot leave work, just text 20003 #HERO to obtain a unique code and get the pizza delivered.
How you can help: Spread the word.

• Restaurant Strong Fund
Date: Ongoing
Info: The Greg Hill Foundation has teamed up with Samuel Adams to support those from the Massachusetts restaurant industry who have been impacted by the COVID-19 closures. The goal is to provide $1,000 grants to as many qualifying grantees as possible.

• Rally for Restaurants
Date: Ongoing
Info: Boston-based Toast, Inc. is encouraging Bostonians to help support your favorite restaurants in this difficult time through Rally for Restaurants.
How you can help: Buy a gift card (or several) to your favorite restaurants, share your contribution on social media, and challenge your friends to do the same.

• Veggie Galaxy
Date: Ongoing
Info: Purchase a gift card and 100% of proceeds will go to support Veggie Galaxy's staff. To purchase gift cards, go to this website.

• backbar
Date: Ongoing
Info: Purchase a raffle ticket and 100% of proceeds will go to to support backbar's staff. Winners will be selected every few days to win prizes. For more info, visit this website.

• Trina Starlite & Parlor Sports
Date: Ongoing
Info: Venmo Trina Starlite and the funds will be distributed among their staff.

• Rebel Rebel
Date: Ongoing
Info: Support Rebel Rebel via Venmo (the funds will be distributed among their staff) or via gift cards and online merch here.

• Coppa
Date: Ongoing
Info: Buy a gift card here between now and April 30 and 50% of proceeds will go towards supporting Coppa's staff.

• Order delivery or takeout from restaurants that can't allow dine-in
Date: At least until 4/6
Info: Eater Boston is tracking delivery and takeout options from restaurants that have been forced to suspend dine-in service. See more here.

• Support Boston restaurant workers with Venmo tips, gift card purchases, and more
Date: Ongoing
Info: Eater Boston is tracking all local restaurant fundraisers that have arisen amid coronavirus outbreak. See more here.

> ARTISTS

• Artist Relief Fund
Date: Starting Th, 3/12
Info: The Boston Artist Relief Fund will award grants of $500 and $1,000 to individual artists who live in Boston whose creative practices and incomes are being adversely impacted by coronavirus.
How you can help: Through a partnership with Boston Center for the Arts, individuals can donate to the Artist Relief Fund here.

• Boston Music Makers Fund
Date: Starting Th, 3/12
Info: The Record Co. has established a fund to provide financial relief to Boston area music makers experiencing lost income as the result of performance cancellations related to COVID-19. Small grants of up to $200 will be paid rapidly on a first-come, first-served basis to affected artists and groups.
How you can help: Donate to the fund.

> STUDENTS

• Tufts Mutual Aid
Date: Until further notice
Info: Tufts Mutual Aid is commited to helping students amid the coronavirus outbreak.
How you can help: You can donate money, time or offer housing, storage, food, etc. to students who need help via this link.

• U-Haul 30 days of free self-storage
Date: Until further notice
Info: A growing number of schools are evacuating campuses in favor of online instruction due to coronavirus precautions.,U-Haul will extend 30 days of free self-storage at U-Haul-owned and operated facilities to help college students impacted by unforeseen schedule changes at their universities.
How you can help: Spread the word.

• Charter Communications providing free internet
Date: Starting Mo, 3/16
Info: Charter is committed to providing free spectrum broadband and Wi-Fi access for students in Massachusetts and Connecticut grades K-12 (who do not already have a subscription) at any level of service up to 100Mbps. Charter’s Wi-Fi hotspots will also be opened for public use.
How you can help: Spread the word.

> SMALL BUSINESSES & NONPROFITS

• Small Business Recovery Loan Fund
Date: Starting Tu, 3/17
Info: Governor Baker has announced a $10 million Small Business Recovery Loan Fund to provide emergency capital up to $75,000 to Massachusetts-based businesses impacted by COVID-19.

• Facebook Small Business Grants Program
Date: TBD
Info: Facebook is offering $100M in cash grants and ad credits for up to 30,000 eligible small businesses in over 30 countries where Facebook operates. Applications will be available in the coming weeks.

• Free emergency remote work kit
Date: Ongoing
Info: LogMeIn is offering to their customers and nonprofits an emergency remote work kit free for 90 days so you can keep business running as usual, remotely.

> OTHER FUNDRAISERS & DONATIONS

• The Boston Resiliency Fund
Date: Ongoing
Info: The Boston Resiliency Fund aims to provide food for children and seniors, technology for remote learning for students, and support to first responders and healthcare workers in the City of Boston.
How you can help: Donate via check or online on the website here.

• The United Way of Massachusetts Bay COVID-19 Family Support Fund
Date: Ongoing
Info: The United Way of Massachusetts Bay has created a COVID-19 Family Support Fund that will help hourly, low-wage workers weather the losses from this epidemic.
How you can help: Donate on the main website here.

• GoFundMe for Bruins TD Garden Employees
Date: Ongoing
Info: COVID-19 precautions have led to pauses in NHL, NBA and Garden event activity. Hundreds of loyal TD Garden workers will lose considerable and critical income during the suspension of events.
How you can help: Donate now here.

• BostonYPA’s Community Support
Date: 3/18 to 4/17
Info: 50% of all BostonYPA's membership dues paid will go directly to the individuals impacted locally. Also, to support the #buyagiftcard campaign, BostonYPA has purchased gift cards to Boston based restaurants and will be running contests for as long as dining rooms are closed.
How you can help: Buy or renew your membership.

> OTHER

• Independent community infection survey
Date: Ongoing
Info: The results from the survey will be shared with public health officials and other research institutions in order to inform policies to address the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey is run by MIT-affiliated scientists in Cambridge, MA. All of your data will only be used for pandemic analytics.

• Stop & Shop 60 years and older shopping hours
When: Daily
What: Beginning Thursday, March 19th, all Stop & Shop stores will open earlier in order to service only customers who are age 60 and over from 6–7:30am daily.

• Maybe We Can Help
When: Daily
What: Construction workers unite to help health care workers during the COVID-19 crisis.
How you can help: Donate now here.

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We're updating this list constantly. Please email [email protected] with any information regarding social good initiatives that have arisen around Boston due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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