From my “virtual headquarters” at home in
California, I’ve been in touch with friends around the world from: England,
India, Nicaragua, Israel, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Germany, and across the US.
While sheltering at their homes, many
have invented creative volunteer projects: Kathe prepares science kits and
drops them off for her grandchildren and their neighbors. Next, she virtually
performs the experiments with them.
My daughter, Priscilla, shops for her
90-year-old neighbor, leaving groceries at the door. Randi and Rozzy, friends
from high school, are sewing washable mask covers to donate.
Daily, I tutor a second grader and a high
school junior. We all have different skills and passions. Below are various opportunities
that I found and ensured that each is currently accepting volunteers.
Crisis Text Line: A Great Need at This Time
Although
the service probably exists in many countries, I looked up the crisis text lines
that operate in the US, Canada,
Ireland,
and the UK. These are all free text lines for people in crisis, and their volunteers
answer texts using active listening and collaborative problem-solving
techniques.
Each volunteer receives 30 hours of
virtual training in crisis counseling and commits to 4 hours per week until 200
hours are reached. A volunteer wrote, “I volunteer for Crisis Text Line because practicing empathy and reflective listening makes
me a better friend, partner, and employee.”
UPchieve Tutoring
Anyone?
UPchieve
is a free online platform that connects low-income high school students in the
US with volunteer coaches to support math instruction and college counseling.
More than 50 million students are out of school due to COVID-19, and low-income students are disproportionately impacted by this shift to digital learning. Compared to their peers, low-income students are less likely to have computers at home and parents who can help with schoolwork.
UPchieve
works on any device, making tutoring accessible even on cell phones. You don’t need tutoring experience
to be a coach online for UPchieve. They provide tools and training, including
subject-specific review materials and a self-paced course on how to be a tutor.
Translators Without Borders (TWB)
Are you fluent in another language? Translators Without Borders
writes: “Countries with lower literacy levels need different
COVID-19 communication strategies. Information must be accessible.”
To date, thousands of TWB volunteers have translated millions of words of vital information for people who need it most.
Irina, a former
lawyer turned volunteer English-Russian translator, has translated a total of
110,220 words into Russian, one of their top 10 most frequently requested
languages. With Covid-19 there is a tremendous need. Meet some amazing volunteers.
United Nations Volunteering (UNV) for Vicarious Travelers
The
United Nations also contributes to peace and development through volunteerism worldwide.
Organizations and volunteers can team up online to address sustainable
development challenges anywhere in the world, from any device.
Hear how a graphics design volunteer from India supported a UN project in Egypt. Check out the 113 current opportunities.
Zooniverse: Want to Do Research? No Experience Needed
Zooniverse is one of the largest online platforms for people-powered research. A reader shared:
“The fun thing about Zooniverse is that
there is a great variety of things that need doing and you can spend as much or
as little time as you wish on each. For example, I’ve spent time coding Civil
War black soldier registrations, counting displaying grouse on a lek, recording
when birds fight on a feeder, transcribing abolitionists letters, indexing a
restaurant menu collection, etc.”
Do projects from home, even in your PJs. Check these out: Bash the Bug, Anti-slavery Manuscripts, Planet Four, and Rainfall Rescue. The projects have produced many published research papers.
Smithsonian Digital Transcription
Have you visited a Smithsonian museum? Become a digital volunteer and help make historical documents and biodiversity data more accessible.
Join others who’ve transcribed and reviewed more than 522,549 pages of field notes, diaries, ledgers, photo albums, manuscripts, and biodiversity specimens since 2013. If you don’t have transcription experience, here’s a chance to learn.
Make DIY Non-Medical Washable Face Masks: #Masks4all
CDC guidance advises Americans to wear
non-medical face coverings when out in public. This is not meant to replace
social distancing and hand-washing. Nor is it meant to replace surgical masks,
which are in short supply for medical professionals. Wearing masks reminds us
not to touch our faces.
Japanese Creations offers a pattern, you can sew by hand, and another one that requires no cutting
or sewing. Here’s one more for those who have a sewing
machine. Many people are making masks for themselves and others.
Project Implicit, Harvard: Check Out Your Biases and Help Others
Harvard
researchers are studying how
to break down stereotypes. Help by taking online tests in collaboration
with researchers who are interested in implicit social cognition – thoughts and
feelings outside of conscious awareness and control.
Their
goal is to educate about hidden biases by collecting data on the Internet. A new paper highlights one method that may
change both unwanted implicit attitudes and behaviors.
Ebird: Discover the World of Birding and Contribute
While spending lots of time at home, you can watch birds from your window or back yard. Join Ebird, the world’s birding community, because every sighting matters.
Find Anything to Try?
Many more opportunities are out there.
Just google “virtual volunteering” and you can find them.
What you are doing to help the world? How
did you find this opportunity? Are you helping only in this time of crisis or
have you decided to commit permanently? Don’t forget to share How it is going!
