Just one week into April, over 90% of Americans are sheltering-in-place to do their part and slow the spread of coronavirus. Unfortunately, this means that many of the spring social events and religious holidays we would otherwise enjoy and turn to in times of crisis have been canceled, postponed, or shifted to a virtual platform. Work stress levels, caused by either the inability to work or the social mandate to do so as an essential worker, are also extremely high. With anxiety levels rising and traditional support systems waning it’s no surprise that we are increasingly turning to helplines for information and assistance in managing our collective emotions. The increase in need may seem jarring, but the fact that people are actively reaching out is great news given the critical importance of caring for our mental health; every day and especially during trying times.
If you need immediate help, here are a handful of available options actively providing support:
The National Domestic Violence Hotline provides confidential assistance to anyone affected by domestic violence through a live chat and a free 24-hour hotline: 800-799-7233.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides confidential assistance to anyone in crisis and their loved ones through a live chat and free 24-hour hotline: 800-273-8255.
Other helpful hotlines include the Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990 and the Crisis Text Line (text HOME to 741741).
If you can help, there are several ways to get involved on a national or local scale:
VolunteerMatch.org has several options, many of which that allow you to help as a virtual volunteer without leaving your house.
Interested in acting locally? NextDoor.com offers a free platform for connecting with neighbors that can be especially helpful during this time. The service not only allows you to ask for help, such as grocery pick-up, but also offer it to others by showing who in your neighborhood needs assistance.
Finally, while we all do our part to flatten the curve, the CovidCrew is mobilizing many volunteers to help raise the line by offering multilingual services, organization and project management skills, and other capabilities to assist with healthcare efforts around the county.
Coming together is a beginning;
Keeping together is progress;
Working together is success.
- Henry Ford