We are in tough tricky times at the moment and right now we need to help each other in whatever way we can. There are several things you can do to give a helping hand and make a difference during COVID-19 so we are all standing together at the end of the tunnel.
Volunteer with your local charities
With COVID-19 imposing the most risk to elderly people, many volunteers at your local charities have had to stop working. Because of this, you can help out by volunteering your time at these charities, such as the Salvation Army and Vinnies.
A number of Charles Sturt communities have been struggling to find volunteers and there are a number of different roles that you can help out with including:
- Door Greeters
- Donation sorters
- Furniture store assistants
- Restocking the Family Store
- Tidying & cleaning family store
- Gopher for Family Store Manager
The Wagga Wagga Salvation Army, in particular, is seeking volunteers to help out in their stores. Send an email to get in touch with their team about volunteering.
Reaching out
If you have friends and family in Victoria, or in any state of Australia really, the isolation from everyone can be very hard. Try and reach out and just see how your family and friends are doing. A simple chat can make all the difference, and while we are apart for now, we can maintain the connection.
You can try:
- A simple phone call
- Video chat such as Facebook Messenger or Skype for example
- Take it old school: Be pen pals. There is nothing like receiving something in the post every once in a while
- Have a virtual movie night. Select a movie with your friends and watch it all at the same time and you can chat about it during and after the movie
Be an advocate for healthy practices
Health is a number one priority right now, so to share that message around, be an advocate for healthy practices. This isn’t just for social distancing and washing your hands (you should be doing that anyway), but also for eating well, getting plenty of exercise if you can and trying other practices such as meditation.
Just remember to take care of yourself first and foremost, and if you do that you can take care of everyone else around you. In doing that, you really can make a difference during COVID-19.
Disclaimer: Remember to take care of yourself and those around you during these times. When engaging in local charity work or heading out into your community in general, it is your responsibility to assess the risks associated. The university is in no way responsible for any actions that students and staff take in a voluntary capacity in their communities.
