As COVID-19 continues to spread in Massachusetts and the Country, we are reminded of how interconnected we are. These are challenging times for us all, and WEST hopes to play a small role to help those in need! WEST is pleased to organize a special virtual panel discussion with WEST Board and Advisory Board members. One hundred percent of the proceeds from this event will be donated to the Life Sciences Cares COVID-19 Response Fund providing flexible grants to organizations working to meet the emerging and shifting needs caused by this unprecedented outbreak. Panelists will share inspiration, challenges, advice, and ways their companies are addressing issues with COVID-19. Join us to ask questions and share your experiences working remotely. Learn more and register at https://www.westorg.org/2020-04-22-virtual-covid19-fundraiser.
Looking for more ways to get involved or give? Please consider the options below.
- AARP providing helpful resources.
- American Red Cross ensuring the organization can deliver support and services nationwide and maintain a sufficient supply of blood to help patients in need due to this public health emergency
- City of Cambridge Mayor’s Relief Fund providing aid to families in need as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Food for Free has a massive ongoing effort to coordinate volunteers to help with food distribution in the Cambridge and Somerville areas.
- #GetUsPPE enabling communities to get PPE to healthcare providers on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Resources for requesting, giving, and making PPE. They are especially interested in volunteers who have experience in the healthcare system (medical students) and/or community organization (campaigns etc).
- Human Network Initiative creating lists to match volunteers with specific requests from their neighbors. Through Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, they are collecting these lists. You can look for your specific community here to make an ask or sign up to volunteer.
- Life Science Cares being a hub for donation, volunteering, professional services in the COVID-19 response. They are helping with distributing food, providing medical care to the homeless, ensuring learning continuity for students, and helping families missing out on a paycheck to survive. They have a LSC Hospital Volunteer Database providing a COVID-19 hospital volunteer database signup.
- Masks for Docs getting protective supplies into the hands of healthcare workers as quickly as possible. Delivering tens of thousands of masks, face shields, and other personal protective equipment (PPE) to healthcare workers in the US for free.
- Mass.gov Health Professional Volunteer for COVID-19 Relief working with local providers and boards of health across the Commonwealth to find places where health professionals like you could volunteer to support your community.
- Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) and The Massachusetts Medical Society collecting medical equipment that offers maximum protection, such as surgical masks and full hospital gowns. If you’d like to donate, email MEMA at donationsdeskmema@gmail.com or call 508-820-2074.
- Massachusetts Nurses Association collecting donations to purchase personal protect equipment (PPE) for nurses and healthcare workers on the front lines of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
- MassBio’s Life Sciences Emergency Supply Hub Coalition and other industry partners across the US supporting area hospitals with much needed equipment and supplies.
- Meals on Wheels is seeking donations as they work to deliver or serve meals to more than 2 million seniors across the country. They are having trouble finding volunteers.
- Medical Personnel Support Boston signing up medical, nursing, or otherwise medically-trained students who want to help clinicians on the frontline by make sure they're able to focus their professional abilities by supporting them through childcare services, grocery/pharmacy deliveries, and any other errands.
- Neighborhood Aid Network providing links for local neighborhood resources.
- PPE Link looking for volunteers to reach out to relevant labs and companies for donations. Also looking for volunteers to manually match donors that are unable to find medical facilities accepting donations near them with hospitals in need. Companies that use PPE in their operations can help provide a short-term stopgap by donating their local hospitals with supplies until national efforts are able to compensate.
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Project Bread partnering with Boston Public Schools to offer breakfast and lunch meals to all BPS students at dedicated site locations. They are also extending it to families who need additional assistance during this time.
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Rosie's Place providing a women's shelter serving poor and homeless women. They need sanitizers and money.
