What will we remember when we look back on the COVID-19 crisis? Will it be the moment we first learned we could no longer leave our homes for an indefinite period? Will we remember not being able to gather for family celebrations or even for funerals? Will our first recollection be of not being able to go to the movie, or even work or school?
This is an unprecedented and decisive point in history for humankind. And while we are in the midst of the crisis, it can be a comfort to identify what we CAN do. For those of us who have the privilege of being able to be safe at home, we encourage you to donate to some of the organizations below that are fighting for impacted people nationally, state-wide, and regionally.
Nationally, Sierra Club is organizing to donate to the most impacted states in our country: New York, Louisiana, Washington, Florida and California. We’re proud to be donating to progressive non-profits that are focusing on the most vulnerable people in our country like farmworkers and undocumented people. You can contribute here.
In Illinois, Governor Pritzker, along with United Way Illinois and the Alliance of Illinois Community Foundations is organizing a fund that will be distributed to non-profits across our state. You can donate to that fund here.
You can also donate to a similar fund for Chicago non-profit organizations here. If you’d like to target your donation to specific neighborhood non-profits, a great list of nonprofits and resources is featured in this Block Club Chicago article.
For our neighbors in the southern part of the state please consider donating to the Land of Lincoln Legal Aid services, which provides free legal aid to families and individuals facing housing issues such as foreclosure or eviction throughout central and southern Illinois.
In this time of protecting ourselves and our loved ones through social isolation, many of us are feeling the true impacts of loneliness.
So, we leave you with this quote:
“One of the most important things you can do on this earth is to let people know they are not alone.”
― Shannon L. Alder
Illinois Sierra Club Blog 