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Coronavirus Community Action Resources

By March 27, 2020May 7th, 2020No Comments

A remarkable result of the COVID-19 crisis is that millions of people across the globe have been moved to ask a similar question–”how can I help?” As members of the Church, we have an unprecedented opportunity to serve our neighbors together and point to the hope and power of Jesus that vanquishes fear, darkness, and even Coronavirus. 

We’ve been inspired and encouraged already by how quickly churches, nonprofits, and other groups have pivoted from business as usual to crisis response so that our neighbors continue to be wrapped in community support and connection. 

Like many other organizations, our day to day operations have been affected by the crisis. We are leaning hard into our values right now as we brainstorm creative ways to mobilize volunteers to serve people safely. We are in a listening and collaborative posture with our church network and community partners, and in coming weeks will be solidifying our strategies. While ongoing plans are still in the works for us and many other groups, the resources currently available thankfully mean that “nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” 

Interested in helping serve in the time of Coronavirus but not sure where to start? We recently hosted a collaborative Zoom call of ministry leaders from across the country answering the question, “how can churches and individuals serve during Coronavirus?”

 

Watch the Zoom Call:

 

Below are the resources mentioned in the Zoom call and collected from other partners. Have great ideas that aren’t on this list? Let us know by leaving a comment or sending us a message! 

 

Health Care

Things Our Team Is Doing: Our Compassion Clinics Director is communicating with local health authorities about ways we can continue to serve our neighbors who would typically attend Compassion Clinics. More on this to come! For now, we are donating all of our extra gloves and masks.

 

Church & Prayer Resources

Things Our Team Is Doing: Our team in Tacoma, WA is doing several creative things to serve, including hosting regular art, bible study, anti-exploitation trainings, and Mending the Soul groups via Zoom. 

 

Celebrating Easter During COVID-19

  • Coordinated Easter Sing
  • Stadia Church Planting is hosting a webinar on how to celebrate Easter during Coronavirus as well as hosting online meetings with pastors to share ideas and best practices. Please contact Chivo Hawkins if interested: nathan.hawkins@stadiachurchplanting.org 
  • #JesusChangedMyLife– “On Easter our churches will not be able to gather in-person as we traditionally do. This is heartbreaking because COVID-19 has many people looking for answers to life’s deepest questions and wondering if there is any hope. We believe this obstacle is actually an opportunity — an opportunity to share the gospel with far more people than we typically would on Easter and to empower you to be the primary heralds of that good news.”

 

Preventing Sexual Exploitation

Things Our Team Is Doing: Although our anti-trafficking after school groups for youth have been suspended due to shelter in place mandates, we have encouraged our volunteers to continue connecting with youth on a one-to-one level. Volunteers have provided food for participants’ families facing food insecurity and have been encouraged to make care packages, connect via phone, do crafts together virtually, shop for their families, and more. Our Design Studio coordinator reached out to a volunteer to see if she would be willing to drop off some groceries for a Design Studio attendee. She agreed and did not want to be reimbursed, saying “I was really wanting to connect with her this week and wasn’t sure how so thanks for providing the opportunity!” 

 

Neighborhood Care 

Things our Team Is Doing: Our team in Tacoma coordinated the feeding of 60 international exchange students who were cut off from their school’s normal resources. In addition, they offered their closed bridal boutique for a 10 person family wedding that was streamed online through Zoom to the family members that could not travel due to the virus.

A few stories from our Arizona team-  “Thank you Compassion Connect AZ for stepping up and serving our community through the San Tan Valley Compassion Care Center during this COVID-19 pandemic. A woman visiting family in our community has not been able to return to her home in California due to the Lock Down, so her diabetic supplies ran out (lancets and testing strips). The Compassion Care Center assisted her with the emergent supplies needed to assure continued monitoring of her diabetes. Sometimes folks need a little help while working out the details of getting their prescription transferred to Arizona!”

“Due to the stay-at-home order in AZ, one of the mothers from our Mommy & Me Class had a lot of no shows for her baby shower. She was hoping to get some needed baby supplies to prepare her nest for the birth of her son. The Compassion Care Center sent her an emergent box of diapers, wipes, a package of onesies, and a receiving blanket, which helped relieve some of her anxiety.

 

Miscellaneous Opportunities:

 

Thank you so much for compassionately exploring ways to serve others during this strange chapter in history. We pray that you stay well and courageous as we head into an unknown future that is held in God’s loving hand. 

 

–The Compassion Connect Team

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