Helping Our Community During COVID-19

As people within our community, our country and the world find themselves in an unprecedented situation due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, now is an important time to work together and help out wherever we can.

That’s why HUECU has recently donated a total of $100,000 in direct support to organizations in our Cambridge and Greater Boston communities. All of these groups are doing exemplary work at an extremely tough time, to provide critical healthcare and social services to the people who need it most.

Support included donations to the following organizations::

• Greater Boston Food Bank to help protect food-insecure populations who are under even greater threat than normal due to the coronavirus.
• Massachusetts General Hospital Emergency Response Fund to support comprehensive emergency care, critical research efforts and frequent information sharing with the public.
• Boston Resiliency Fund, to further it’s great work in directing fundraising and philanthropic efforts toward the most pressing essential services. Acting with urgency and transparency, the Fund ensures that 100% of donations go to Boston residents who are most seriously and immediately impacted by COVID-19.
• City of Cambridge Disaster Relief Fund to provide emergency assistance to individuals and families in the community experiencing extreme financial hardship due to the coronavirus.
• Harvard COVID-19 Employee Emergency Relief Fund to provide assistance, in partnership with HUECU, to benefits-eligible employees of the University who are experiencing unanticipated or emergency situations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  
  If you have the financial means to do so, making a donation is a wonderful way to join in and be a part of the community efforts to fight the coronavirus together. You can visit the above-listed organizations to see where you might be able to help. Any amount is valuable.

There are also non-monetary ways to support people, hospitals and other organizations in need. Partners Healthcare is now accepting blood donations as well as donations of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and other healthcare supplies, including facemasks, gowns, protective eyewear, gloves, hand sanitizer and thermometers. Visit the website to learn more about how to donate supplies or money at hospitals throughout our community

In terms of other ways to help, visit the Red Cross online to keep up with volunteer efforts and learn how to donate blood.

You might also consider making cloth masks, to help yourself and others slow the spread of the coronavirus when surgical masks are in short supply. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have an online tutorial with more information on how to create sew or no-sew masks, and their proper usage.

Finally, you can check in with friends and family who may be at higher risk, to ensure they are keeping physically and emotionally well. The CDC has more information about higher risk populations online.

Another great way to get involved in the community efforts is to support local businesses. Many small businesses are seeing a sizeable impact from the outbreak, so consider shopping local whenever you can – whether that’s ordering takeout, purchasing a gift card for future use, or maintaining a subscription even if services are temporarily unavailable.

Visit HUECU on Facebook and Instagram to let us know how you’re supporting your local businesses during this time, and use our post to give a shout out to any local businesses you want to highlight.

Thanks for doing your part and let’s keep up the fight together!