While we might be panicking and worrying about instant noodles, toilet rolls or whether we’d be the next victim to the virus, there is a group of forgotten and almost invisible team working at the frontlines battling the novel coronavirus COVID-19 head on. From nurses, doctors to paramedics, allied health personnel, carestaff, care associates, this group is silently soldiering the burden of the virus outbreak.
As common folk, we ought to be appreciative and many have done so by starting ground-up campaigns to encourage the COVID-19 frontliners.
Here’s a compilation of how we can show some appreciation and give back in simple ways.
#Togetherwewillovercome
STAY HOME!
With healthcare professionals, security, cleaners, civil servants working round the clock, let’s do our part and #stayhome.
Stay Positive by Singa Polah
Singa Polah and his buddy want to encourage everyone to show appreciation and keep our heads up. It’s easy to do so in our daily (virtual) conversations.
Download Telegram stickers from here and Whatsapp stickers from here.
Fighting! Let’s Get Through This Together by Ang Ku Kueh Girl
Who else loves the adorable girl with the Ang Ku Kueh head? Share reminders with loved ones about washing hands well and wearing a mask!
Download them here:
Happy Gnome Matter What by Poh Wei Tai
This happy gnome is out of the garden helping to fight fake news, discourage panic buying and encourage novel ways of spreading love.
Otta’s Wuhan 101 by Ashley Tan
You Otta keep your hands away from your face! Put a smile on friends especially the otter-lovers. Download them here on Telegram.
Be Kind SG Seeking Sponsors
Be Kind SG is currently seeking sponsors or organizations to put together 7, 000 care packages for frontline staff of TTSH and NCID. Contact them to contribute Halal-certified snacks as well as self-care items. (https://www.facebook.com/BeKindSG)
Sponsor Chicken Rice for Frontline Heroes
Ok Chicken Rice has kindly sponsored and seeking sponsorship of chicken rice packages consisting of roast chicken rice, otak, egg and tofu. You can make the payment via PayNow QR. More details here. https://www.facebook.com/OKCHICKENRICE/
Bring your friends and family in the medical field to Old Chang Kee where they will get free curry puffs, while stocks last, till 5 pm daily.
Operation #Boostershot Buy them a Cuppa
Latest Update: Campaign Closed thanks to the generosity of Singapore!
A former healthcare worker has started a campaign to treat healthcare workers to a cup of Starbucks or Coffee bean. $7 buys a cup of coffee for a healthcare worker. In just a day at Tan Tock Seng Hospital/NCID, about 500 cups have been claimed. Learn more about the campaign here which has raised more than $25, 000 thanks to the generosity of the people.
Giving Hope to Hospital Frontline Staff as We Fight nCoV
The same folks behind Operation #Boostershot has started a new campaign to raise funds for delivering quick energy-boosting bites, packet drinks as well as notes of encouragement to several hospitals. As the medical staff often endure long shifts, have little time to eat and very short periods of rest, they need all the nutrition to battle COVID19. 100% of donations received will fund the provision of snacks and drinks. Make a donation here. Follow the IG page @heartforsg for more updates on how else you can help.
Donate Blood
Blood bank levels are critically low! While this may not directly affect healthcare workers, it does lighten their load when the blood banks are full. Low blood bank levels also impacts treatments and surgeries, thus impeding recovery or even saving of lives. Find out about community blood donation drives and where else to give blood here.
Pen Messages of Encouragement at RCs and Community Centres
Pen your messages of encouragement at RCs and Community centres from today till Friday 14th February. Alternatively, tag #couragetocareSG in your Instagram and Facebook posts.
#BraveheartSG
Latest Update: Campaign Closed thanks to the generosity of Singapore!
You might have Valentine’s all planned out. But many healthcare workers might not have the privilege or time to celebrate, one even cancelled his wedding. Sometimes, they are shunned taking public transport or even ordering food! We can be better than this. This February 14th, let’s show appreciation for the healthcare workers on the frontline by:
- Writing a message of appreciation on a piece of paper. (Write as many messages as possible so each healthcare worker receives 30 or more)
- Take a picture of the message. (One picture per message)
- Post the pictures on Facebook and use hashtag #braveheartSG
Alternatively, you can email the pictures to [email protected]. StandUpFor.SG will also be consolidating pictures, printing and distributing them on Valentine’s Day.
#MuslimSGCares
Write love letters of a different kind! This year, we can write them to frontline offers to thank them for all their sacrifices.
- Write a note of appreciation
- Take a photo, upload it on social media.
- Use the hashtag #MuslimSGCares
Dorscon.sg
Try writing on this dedication wall for the unsung heroes on the frontline. Head to www.dorscon.sg, share and contribute to the wall!
Send Emoticons of Support to Friends and Family at the Frontline
A group of creatives have used their talent to create Telegram and Whatsapp stickers to spread some cheer – or a little sunshine, as they call it. Credits go to Josiah Ng, Nigel Tan, Khoo Sziying, Magdalene Loh, Benjamin Lim and Jevianty Desy.
Download the Telegram stickers here.
For Whatsapp, use this link.
OTHER WAYS TO HELP OTHER SINGAPOREANS AFFECTED BY COVID-19
From the Singapore Kindness Movement Album:
Emmaus Strategies started an appreciation movement ‘Operation Transmit A Simple Thank you’ to thank all healthcare workers, cleaners, transport workers, delivery staff and charity workers.
You can convey a simple word of thanks, send an e-Thank You card at TransmitThanks.emmaus.sg and/or engage in a simple act of service and of appreciation. #OpTransmitASimpleThankYou
Kudos to The Signpost Project for their two initiatives:
1) Superworker Initiative
Using post-it notes (with thank you messages) and placing them on supermarket counters, as well as passing care packages to supermarket managers in the Dover/Clementi/Commonwealth region.
2) Peddle Hard Initiative
Passing masks and hand sanitizers to tissue paper and cardboard peddlers who are in high traffic junction areas, especially Dover/Clementi/Kreta Ayer region.
Better.sg #techforgood project allows you to donate your excess mask to someone who lives near you and has requested for mask supplies.
Offer to help your neighbours / Request for emergency supplies here: https://better.sg/maskgoshare/
Donate Sanitising Items To The Front Lines
Contribute SG welcomes you to donate new surgical or N95 masks and other sanitizing items that you do not need. They will be passed on to those in the front lines.
Check out the drop off points here: https://contribute.sg/
Volunteer At Voluntary Welfare Organisations
XIU Nature Connections offers free community rest gathering online to help you manage your stress and anxiety. Interested? Find out more on their page!
Sure Anot is educating the public to fight against fake news in light of false reports circulating on social media, such as recent posts on the Wuhan coronavirus.
Good Hood is a ground up movement that created a web based platform to inform people of the updates on the novel coronavirus and mask sharing in the neighbourhood.
SG nCoV Creative/Cultural Professionals & Freelancers Support Group is a Facebook group started to help provide support, advice and expertise to freelancers who have had projects and/or performances cancelled and hence lost their jobs due to the novel coronavirus.
PARK $2 Project (P2P) created a donation drive to gather funds online, in order to prepare goodie bags or survival packs to help needy families secure essentials as supermarket shelves go empty.
Jules Of Singapore features positive stories and help you counter fake news especially in the panic situation during this period of crisis.
Food from the Heart (Singapore) is calling out volunteers to help pack beneficiary food packs at their warehouse so that they continue their monthly deliveries undisrupted.
Join hands with them to feed the needy during these tough times. Find out more about the volunteering sessions available!
Community Shop @Mountbatten is launched by Food from the Heart (Singapore) and OCBC Bank to serve the needs of the less-privileged ones in Singapore.
If you are interested to donate excess food items to The Community Shop @ Mountbatten, you can do so 24 hrs daily at Blk 13 Old Airport Road, #01-57, Singapore 390013.
Fawn Labs is supporting a group of self-initiated individuals to distribute hand sanitisers to low income and elderly housing estates.
Looking for empty plastic bottles with foam pump heads, between 200ml to 500ml capacity! If you have any of these bottles at home or at work, you can contribute to this good cause too.
Common Ground‘s #SGwholecommunities is collecting stories of people doing good, empathising with each other, to show that there are many good things going on to ease off any unnecessary fear in people during this time of the novel coronavirus.
