What is the essence of life? To serve others and do good
- Aristotle
Aristotle's words still ring true 2300 years later. Especially in times like these where everything seems uncertain, donating your time to others is especially valuable. From helping out your family to fostering change in underdeveloped countries, there are so many ways that you can volunteer while still staying safe at home.
First, you can help out isolated elderly. Older generations are at a much higher risk during this pandemic and helping them feel safe and happy during quarantine is imperative. You could do start to do this by calling an elderly relative. If you hate calling people on the phone (like me), here are some ideas to foster good conversation: ask about their day, ask about recipes in the family that you could cook together online, ask about other family members, tell them about important milestones in your life.
Additionally, if you don't mind calling people, you could reach out to elderly outside of your family through Calling Care. Calling Care is a service in which volunteers call isolated elderly. Volunteers make sure their charges are healthy and just have good conversation with them.
Secondly, as the United States economy slows and sick patients pile up, both local essential businesses and hospitals need your help. You can help those working the front line and exposing themselves to COVID-19 every day by making goodybags for the nurses at your local hospital. You can make cards for your local firestation; their jobs haven't stopped and they continue to risk their lives to save others. You can buy a giftcard from your local restaurant. Local restaurants need support as their customer base is nearly all gone.
Here's an example of a nurse who created Relief Goodbags for other nurses working with COVID-19 patients
Thirdly, you can volunteer with United Nations Volunteers. The United Nations has long promoted peace and development through volunteerism. According to Vincenzo Aquaro, who works in the UN department of social and economic affairs, "online volunteers provide an excellent service to the UN, but also [gain] significant knowledge and experience, making it a win-win situation." The UN volunteer initiative allows volunteers to pick out their skills, whether it be writing or even project development and management. After that, they can then choose projects under that skill. For instance, one project under the writing and editing skill was volunteering to proofread a training guide for UNITAR (United Nations Institute for Training and Research.) Each project has a time stamp of the estimated amount of time it would take to finish.
Fourthly, you can promote global change through Amnesty International. Amnesty International is a global movement dedicated to creating a world where everyone has equal rights. Volunteers can help online by looking at their take action page (linked below) which features situations around the world in which human rights are violated. With this new knowledge, volunteers can foster change by writing to Ministers of Justice, calling journalists, and spreading awareness of these situations themselves. For instance, in Greece, refugees on the islands are facing inhumane conditions. They are packed into camps with limited access to water and an increasing risk to the coronavirus. You can help by sending a message to the Prime Minister of Greece and urging him to ensure that these people have the supplies that they need. Finally, you can volunteer for ground-breaking research right at home with Zooinverse. Zooinverse is a platform for people-powered research that is made possible by volunteers who assist professional researchers. Through Zooinverse, you can volunteer on multitudes of different projects. For instance, if you're interested in biology, you can participate in a project called Bash the Bug, which fights resistance against antibiotics. You will have two tasks, both of which require you to identify which wells in a provided picture have bacteria growth. All of the tasks are pretty self-explanatory, but are also explained in depth through a tutorial sidebar. Bash the Bug: https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/mrniaboc/bash-the-bug You can also volunteer as a beta tester. This means signing up to work through a beta project by checking for any bugs and filling out a questionnaire at the end. Additionally, you can volunteer as a project moderator. If you have a little more insight about a certain project, you can contact the project owner and moderate discussions about the project. You can become the contact for a certain project. I am so excited with how so many different outreach programs are adapting to work online, and I hope we can continue in this direction. As always if you try out any of these volunteer opportunities, make sure to send me an email as to how it went. I would love to hear your feedback! Sincerely, Sarah Mathew
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During these times of isolation, it's still important to remain active and healthy. Exercise can serve as a great distraction and get your mind off the more difficult situations happening in the world right now.
1) Go outside for a walk/ run
We are still allowed to go outside, but it is important to take the proper safety precautions. Taking a break outside and relaxing is a great escape from the prison that your own home can become. If you've been feeling unwell and need a breath of fresh air, wear a mask when you go outside. Remember wearing a mask doesn't spell the end of the virus, and oftentimes it's not effective outside of crowded settings such as hospitals. When you go on your walk/ run, please remember to stay at least 6 feet away from others or fellow walkers/ runners. This is the best way to ensure your own safety. Safety is more important than manners in this situation, I promise! I use the app "MapMyWalk" and it tracks my route and walking statistics (like how fast I'm going for certain miles). After you return home, make sure to wash your hands and step into the shower. Even if you haven't been in contact with anyone or suspicious substances, it's always safe and washes off of that workout grime. According to Suzanne Willard, the associate dean at Rutger's University of Nursing, "you're [clothes are] OK if you've gone for a run or walk" and its not likely that your clothes have been contaminated. This just means you don't have to freak out and douse your clothes in every cleaning substance known to man. However, it's always safe to wash your clothes and wipe down your phone and/ or water bottle. Don't freak out and lose your cool!
2) Dance workouts
Dance is an amazing way to get your heart rate up and get some cardio into your workout. If you don't have young kids, or if this is just something you want to save for yourself, there are lots of dance workouts with popular songs online. In my case, I've always been a terrible dancer and wanted to use this time to better myself and learn a simplified version of choreo for the Jonas Brother's song "Sucker". Here's one dance exercise video that I love (I know it's meant for kids... I'm bad at dancing okay): If you end up doing this, make sure to shoot me an email or comment down below as to how it went! Also, if you want to occupy younger kids in your household there are so many fun dance videos that are suited for them on Youtube. Here's one that my family loves:
3) Household Chores
I know this sounds super boring, but this is the perfect opportunity to make your parents super happy or just try and do some damage control after your kids wrecked the house once again. Put on your favorite playlist (I always listen to Broadway playlists when I clean), and put yourself to work. Wipe down your counters, clean out your bathrooms, wipe down your mirrors. You can keep yourself active and safe at the same time!
4) Do an at-home workout
I've saved the most obvious answer for last of course. Don't fall into the mindset that you can't truly workout without all your favorite local gyms. There are so many great workouts that you can do without any gym equipment. There are so many amazing intense workouts on Youtube and even on fitness websites. On the MapMyWalk app that I mentioned above, possible workouts for this isolated time period (and without any equipment) are recommended frequently. Here are some exercise inspiration if you want to create your own workout to suit your needs:
- Cardio: mountain-climbers, jumping jacks, hoola-hooping, jump-roping, walking up and down your stairs - Legs: lunges, squats, wall-sits - Abs: sit-ups, planks, russian twists - Arms: push-ups, plank-push-ups, side push-ups (there are so many variations on push-ups; you wouldn't believe how there are online)
I know it's hard for all you extroverted people to go without interacting with your friends, or maybe even just human contact. Exercise is a great way to get in touch with your friends and family, and make this situation a little bit more bearable. Call a friend when you go out for a walk or invite your family for a dancing session in the living room.
If you've made it this far, comment down below which exercise method seems more your style. As always, stay safe and stay healthy! Sincerely, Sarah
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How did this all start? Surprisingly, much of this information is still up in the air. Scientists and virus hunters alike (yes, they're real) are still exploring different possibilities. However, this article is meant to de-bunk any far-fetched myths about the origins and provide as much information as I can. The most widespread myth about this virus is that it is a Chinese man-made virus that was created for the purposes of biological warfare. As Richard Ebright and other scientists around the world concluded, "there's absolutely nothing in the genome sequence of this virus that indicates the virus was engineered." That's not to say that this virus wasn't released on purpose, as I don't truly know that information. However, we cannot spread misinformation that this virus was a Chinese 'plot,' as this only engenders fear and conspiracies. There are three main theories about the true origins of this virus. First, it's believed that the virus originated in the wet markets of Wuhan, China. In these wet markets, wild and exotic animals are butchered and sold, and it is a natural breeding ground of bacteria. Specifically, it's believed that an infected pangolin spread the disease. This is the most popularly accepted theory. Dr. Simon Anthony, a professor at Columbia University, even believes that this is the "most simple, obvious and likely explanation," as to the origins of the virus. Second, some experts believe that the virus leaked from laboratories in Wuhan, near the wet markets. China's only bio safety level 4 super-laboratory, that worked with the Corona-virus is located in the Wuhan province, where the virus first spread. Lastly, some scientists believe that the virus spread through farmers. Farmers, especially in the Wuhan province, fertilize their plants using guano (bat feces), that they collect from crowded caves. Scientists believe that a farmer was infected with Corona-carrying feces and spread the virus around Wuhan. So what are the facts that scientists do agree on? Most scientists agree that the virus originated from animals and spread to humans, which is known as a zoonotic spillover. Also, the version of the virus that is currently wreaking havoc on the world is 96% identical to a bat Corona-virus, which leads scientists to believe that the virus originally came from bats. Why is finding the origin of this virus so important? This search for the virus' true beginnings is important because after the world slowly starts to recover, the virus could re-emerge with scientists still not full understanding it. Also, finding its origin would take scientists one step closer to developing a vaccine for the future. It's up to the media to discover the truth, not accept answers at face value. - Stephen L. Miller Sincerely, Sarah P.S - Go complete the survey on this article when you're done reading! Sources
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AuthorMy name is Sarah Mathew and I was a junior in high school when this pandemic hit. I wanted to help my community in the best way I knew how: writing. Archives
December 2020
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