Hamilton Families volunteers getting ready to make food deliveries to families in the rapid rehousing program. Photo: Hamilton Families
The Bold Italic • May 15, 2020 • By Emily Busse
Local nonprofits are working harder than ever to keep providing help to homeless families, seniors, the homebound, youth, animals, and other vulnerable groups, but they’re up against a massive challenge: the loss of millions of fundraising dollars as well as volunteers due to Covid-19.
Canceled fundraising events and campaigns put on hold will likely have a ripple effect on budgets and services for months to come.
“Our reserves are dwindling and this crisis is likely to wipe out a reserve at the most critical time as we celebrate 50 years of service in San Francisco — a perfect storm as you will,” said Jim Oswald of Meals on Wheels San Francisco.
Out of the hundreds of nonprofits in the area, we spoke with five local organizations serving some of the most vulnerable populations among us. Each organization said they’re feeling the negative impact of Covid-19 in major ways. But they also said there is a way through this: it will take all of us.
Here are some ways they say we can all help, in both big and small ways.
1. Make a personal donation
“The question we most often receive from our supporters is, ‘what’s the most impactful action I can take right now to help?’ The answer is simple: make a contribution,” said Rachel Kenemore, chief development officer at Hamilton Families, an organization that supports more than 800 homeless families a year.
The SF SPCA, Meals on Wheels San Francisco, and 826 Valencia have all canceled their most important fundraising events of the year. Hamilton Families, too, canceled fundraising campaigns and saw large donors postpone contributions.
Simply giving money online from your couch may feel like you’re not getting as involved as normal, but organizations said even the smallest donations are more important than ever right now.
“If you can make a donation, we’ll put it to good use,” said Krista Maloney, of the SF SPCA. “We are still continuing providing lifesaving care to animals who are homeless or suffering from critical medical conditions, but with only a fraction of the support.”
It’s not only about making up for lost fundraising — it’s also about supporting new efforts. Hamilton Families, for example, is working with other family service providers on a project called Hotel Rooms for Homeless Families to meet increased housing needs. They secured a block of more than 30 hotel rooms in the SOMA district and families have started moving in, but they’re still working to raise the needed funds. As of April 30, the group has raised just under $28,000 of their $200,000 goal.
Giving doesn’t have to be in the form of money, either. “Giving urgently needed items like masks, gloves, groceries, or even used laptops — all forms of support will create a positive impact on families in our programs in ways you can’t even imagine,” Kenemore said.
2. Become a virtual volunteer
Volunteering isn’t as easy anymore. Thankfully, there are some options you can do from your couch.
Hamilton Families, for example, has shared several ways to volunteer virtually, such as assembling hygiene kits for families or becoming an “e-mentor” to a local public high school student.
826 Valencia, an organization that supports students through writing and storytelling skills, said the loss of in-person volunteers feels immeasurable. “The difference it makes when students who lack support in other areas of their lives are sitting next to adults and being told their words and stories matter […] how do you quantify that?” said Allyson Halpern, the group’s director of advancement.
But the organization has been able to move some of their programs online, giving volunteers and the general public the opportunity to read, amplify, and encourage young writers from afar.
If arts and crafts is more your speed, Meals on Wheels San Francisco is looking for individuals to volunteer via at-home activities like card making for seniors. Amidst Covid, they’re specifically asking for “Thinking of You” cards to help address social isolation. “Research shows that even older adults that are well-connected/wired have shown an increase in loneliness and feelings of isolation. Isolation has become a public health crisis in and of itself,” Oswald said.
Or, if you don’t have the resources to help with deliveries but you’re enjoying the occasional takeout meal, consider buying a meal for a family who can’t afford one. Local restaurants like PicaPica Arepa Kitchen are working with Hamilton Families and others to provide food to critical workers and people in need. An $8 Venmo gift to @PicaPicaKitchen will send a meal to someone who needs it, in pursuit of their goal of donating 17,628 meals by May 15.
3. Go out and volunteer (safely)
Despite the shelter-in-place orders, there are still ways to get out and help in person, as long as it’s safe for you to do so. Many organizations have said they’ve been overwhelmed by the number of people stepping up.
Meals on Wheels San Francisco saw a 10% increase in the need for meal production and delivery to recipients who need it, meaning they were producing 10,000 meals a day. In March, they set up a Covid-specific call for emergency volunteers, and more than 1,000 individuals inquired or signed up to volunteer, maxing them out on volunteers at a time they needed it most. “We are extremely grateful,” Oswald said.
Gucci was the dog who had been in the San Francisco SPCA shelter the longest when shelter-in-place began. She’s since been adopted. Photo: San Francisco SPCA
As part of their Feeding Families effort, Hamilton Families has been working with volunteers to transport school meals so kids without school lunches won’t go hungry and deliver groceries.
Our furry friends can use the help, too. While the San Francisco SPCA adoption center is closed and shelter volunteers are no longer coming to campus, most of the animals are now in foster homes due to volunteer foster homes. The success stories include Gucci, a sweet dog who had been at the shelter the longest when quarantine began.
“We’ve received a huge outpouring of support from community members who are interested in fostering — it’s incredible and heartwarming that so many people want to help during this crisis,” Maloney said of the SPCA volunteers.
4. Spread the word
Sharing content about organizations you support or believe in on social media may seem like the smallest possible thing you could do — akin to “thoughts and prayers” — but in reality, it’s a major contribution. The network effect for building awareness is critical and absolutely needed right now, nonprofits said.
From something as simple as reposting a nonprofit’s latest picture on Instagram to starting a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign, spreading the word about a nonprofit’s mission can spark your friends, their friends, or their friends’ friends to make a donation or help volunteer.
Molly Parent, communications manager at 826 Valencia, said reading and sharing young people’s writing amidst the pandemic is an easy way to give them (and yourself) a much-needed boost. “We’re going to continue sharing our students’ writing on social media and in newsletters. We’re going to find ways to amplify their voices in this difficult time. Following along, listening, and celebrating their work is a great way to bring some light,” Parent said.
5. Become a future volunteer
The increased demand for services and the loss of millions in fundraising dollars will mean getting involved for the long-term, as well as the short-term, is important. The impact of Covid-19 will linger for the most vulnerable populations for a cruelly long time to come.
You can sign up now to be a volunteer with 826 Valencia when in-person opportunities are up and running. Similarly, GLIDE, a social service provider and social justice advocate in the Tenderloin, typically relies on up to 85 volunteers a day, primarily in helping prep and serve food for their Daily Free Meals program. All volunteers are paused at this time, but when it’s open again, they’ll need people to step in, said spokesperson Denise Lamott. Signing up now will help them prepare for that in advance.
“Be ready to jump back in. We need you,” said 826 Valencia’s Parent. “We’ll need to have a strong start.”