Blog

June 6, 2020

Remote Volunteering During a Time of Crisis

The COVID-19 pandemic has given us the paradox of being required to shelter at home while community needs escalate. The good news is, that this has not stymied Communities Foundation of Texas for Business (CFT4B) members who are always ready to volunteer!

One of the most valuable trends emerging from this crisis is increased remote volunteering. We have been partnering with local nonprofits to identify or create virtual volunteer projects since CFT transitioned to working from home on March 16.

CFT4B published the first edition of Virtual Volunteer Opportunities and Nonprofit Wish Lists to our network of engagement captains on March 27. Our members and many of their friends, families, faith communities and civic organizations moved rapidly to respond to the needs listed and continue to do so.

Here are a few of the ways businesses in our network have gracefully pivoted to virtual and remote volunteering:

• Marketwave replaced a scheduled March 31 event to make a donation to North Texas Food Bank which was amplified by a matching gift, and donated three laptops to Austin Street Center, where they were desperately needed.
• CFT4B cornerstone sponsor Bioworld Merchandising is working with Patriot Paws and Mi Escuelita to address increased and ongoing needs. They have also donated more than 10,000 masks to hospitals on the front lines in New York, donated 400 masks and have t-shirt donations scheduled for Austin Street Center and Good Samaritans of Garland.
• Be the Change Giving Circle activated families to write encouraging notes for The Senior Source at Signature Pointe on the Lake and created story time videos by reading children’s books for Vogel Alcove.
• Istation pivoted a planned company-wide day of service on May 5 to virtual with projects for The Senior Source and Vogel Alcove as well adding creating videos for the Healthcare Heroes Campaign of Gratitude.
• Employees and their families from American Airlines, Micro Focus, and State Farm joined Communities Foundation of Texas employees at a Virtual Notes of Encouragement for the elderly residents at The Villages of Dallas on North Texas Giving Tuesday Now.

Fred Rogers is famous for saying, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.'”

I have thought of this quote often in recent weeks after seeing scary things in the news, and I've found comfort in knowing that we have the privilege to work with people and businesses that are part of a global network of helpers responding to a crisis.

While this does not come close to including all of the companies in our network that are volunteering from home, it does highlight some of the reasons we remain hopeful and inspired.

If you are not already part of this graceful pivot, use these links to find virtual volunteer opportunities, nonprofit wish lists and ways to get involved in Communities Foundation of Texas COVID-19 Response.