“My life changed big time. I couldn’t use half my body and walking was out of the question,” Phillip says. “It didn’t dawn on me what I was able to do and not do.”
Phillip wasn’t able to shop, cook or bath on his own. Family and friends stepped in to support him, but social distancing measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 meant many of Phillip’s friends and family, who are older, could no longer help him.
Normal supports unavailable
Phillip’s 84-year-old mother, who loves to cook, was helping her son with grocery shopping and cooking meals, but as the middle of March approached, he began to worry.
“She lives in North Van and would have to take the Seabus and a couple of buses,” Phillip says. “I was really starting to get concerned for her safety.”
A friend suggested that Phillip’s Mom could cook meals and put them in her freezer. But there was no way to get the food to him. Phillip reached out to agencies and had some initial success with getting help, but he needed more support and without a cell phone or computer, it was very hard to find. Then watching television one day, he heard United Way mentioned and a light bulb went off, so he picked up the phone.
Local love in action
Thanks to many selfless Lower Mainland volunteers and United Way’s Mobilizing Local Love initiative, people like Phillip are getting the help they need.
Those needing help simply fill in an online form on United Way’s website or have a social or health care worker, friend or, in Phillip’s case, a United Way employee help. Those wanting to volunteer also register online. Twice daily forms are reviewed and those in need are connected with a helpful volunteer or a member of United Way’s Community Engagement Team working in the area who can help them with things like getting groceries, prescription pick ups or posting mail.
For Phillip, help initially looked like volunteer, Nathalie, delivering his mom’s home-cooked frozen meals from North Vancouver to his West End apartment – within an hour of his call.
“I was so full of joy and gratitude. It slammed into me,” Phillip says, his voice swelling with emotion. “That they wanted to do that for me and my Mom. It’s beautiful. You see the kind, good side of human grace.”
“I know there is a large need in all communities to help those who need it [and] I’m available,” Nathalie, who is currently working from home, says. “I check the iVolunteer website often to see if there is someone who needs something and if I can do it, I get into my car and go do it.”
A single call changes everything
“The importance of human-to-human contact via telephone during the COVID crisis is so important,” says Cindy Cassidy, United Way’s Volunteer Coordinator. “Even a brief call of 5-7 minutes offers hope and acknowledgement that someone is there for them. Many of those reaching out to us are feeling lost and afraid of “falling through the cracks.”
That’s why acts of local love are now more important than ever.
We’re asking our friends, colleagues, neighbours to step up and help one another during this difficult time. Sign up today.
Superheroes in our midst
Cindy, who is in daily contact with volunteers, connected Phillip and volunteer Chris to help with grocery shopping.
“I can hobble over to the grocery store to get little things like milk, but not much more than that,” Phillip says. “Because I don’t have a cell phone or email, it took us about 10 minutes to give Chris my grocery list.”
Thirty–one-year-old Chris, who himself was been laid off from his job due to the COVID-19 outbreak has a great family support system. He wanted to give back and felt it was important to contribute to his community at this time.
“I felt it necessary to support my community,” Chris says. After making the rounds to several grocery stores for a number of essential items like toilet paper. Chris arrived at Phillip’s door with the much-needed supplies.
“People are doing this on their own and at their own risk. These wonderful, beautiful people, Nathalie and Chris,” Phillip says. “These people are heroes in my eyes and my mom’s eyes. All the volunteers are and United Way too.”
“I am blown away by the gratitude I get from each ‘neighbour’,” Chris says. “When I reach out to them I can hear the appreciation in their voice and it makes it all worthwhile.”
Since March 30, over 2,300 volunteers have reached out to help others through United Way’s iVolunteer website.
Support matters
There are many ways to help during the COVID-19 crisis. If you’re unable to volunteer, consider a gift, which will allow us to invest in resources where they are needed most. Your gift can help us provide for basic needs like food, help for seniors, increased community services, mental health and volunteer supports.
Let’s ensure that everyone in our communities gets the help they need. Donate today.
Preventing the spread of COVID-19 means physical distancing, which can leave people isolated. This crisis is changing everyone’s day-to-day but it especially impacts the most vulnerable people in our community.
Acts of local love are more important than ever. We’re asking our friends, colleagues, neighbours to step up and help one another during this difficult time. We want to ensure that everyone in our communities gets the help they need. You can sign up to volunteer here.