Abigail Cushman, Special Projects Editor
@abigailccourant
Over this past summer, the negative impacts of COVID-19 could be felt throughout the community. Many have used these setbacks as an opportunity to make a difference during the pandemic, and students looking to do the same have an abundance of options. So, here are three hard and fast ways that any student can contribute to the community while combating COVID-19.
1. Make masks to donate to local organizations.
Over the span of one month, senior Lindsay Hall made eighty children’s masks to donate to Filling in the Blanks. “I decided to make masks for them because I wanted to do something positive for others during quarantine,” Lindsay said. “I always found myself sitting around my house doing nothing, so learning how to make masks and donating them to an organization that has been doing such great things for children in need during COVID-19 seemed like a great way to devote some of my time.”
Lindsay had emailed the directors of Filling in the Blanks and asked if they wanted the masks she was making. “They were very grateful and very glad to take the masks and distribute them for me,” she said. Other organizations that might benefit from mask donations could include Person to Person, Kids In Crisis, Inspirica, Community Health Resources, and local hospitals.
When starting out, Lindsay said that she looked up “how to make children’s masks” on YouTube and clicked on the first video. “It definitely took some practice because sewing was new to me, but it was fun to learn. I also got some help from a friend who was really good at sewing and had made masks for herself before,” Lindsay said.
Making one mask took Lindsay about ten minutes. She made a bunch of different children’s sizes and purchased her fabric on a website called Joann Fabric and Craft store. Fabric can also be found on Amazon, and there is information on various fabric measurements for varied mask sizing online.
Just offering masks to a charitable organization or hospital in the area can impact multiple lives. “I believe we were the only people who donated masks to Filling in the Blanks, and I think that they had a very positive impact on the children who received them,” Lindsay said. “The children most likely did not have access to a mask with a fun print. One of the social workers that helped with giving them out said they were a big hit. Hopefully the masks brightened some days during these hard times.”
2. Join programs that lift up others.
Supporting more vulnerable groups within the community is a great way to keep morale high during upsetting circumstances. Visit with ederly members of New Canaan by virtually volunteering at Waveny Care Center, or follow senior Abby Vandussen’s example and participate in a local buddies group.
Abby has worked with the special needs buddies club at Saint Aloysius Parish since 8th Grade and she became a leader of the club her Junior year. Therefore, she has watched the club adapt to COVID-19. “Because of COVID-19 we shortened the time we met. We were no longer able to do things like crafts or play sports, so we decided Zoom Bingo was the safest and best way to continue to meet,” Abby said.
While the difficulty of remote meetings made less students join the club over Zoom, there were always 5 to 10 participants on Zoom whose ages ranged from 15 to 28 years old. Despite this turnout, Abby said that Bingo Zooms were not as effective as the in person club meetings, as the kids could not do hands-on activities.
Regardless of coronavirus-caused setbacks, community outreach groups always make a difference. “These kids enjoy hanging out with other teens because they may not get this exposure in their schools,” Abby said. “It was a good way to connect and stay together as everyone was in the same boat.”
3. Run errands for people at risk.
Grocery shopping and running errands for community members who are unable to do so themselves can both help and protect those most vulnerable to COVID-19. This could mean simply offering to shop for an elderly neighbor, or joining a shopping assistance program. Senior Breanne Shipman, for example, participated in a program called the New Canaan Vulnerable Resident Outreach Program.
The program was directed by Bethany Zaro, who enlisted volunteers to assure that senior citizens and vulnerable community members stayed safe at home while others safely shopped for and delivered goods to them. “I was partnered with an elderly man in New Canaan,” Breanne said. “Throughout the pandemic, I have continued to grocery shop, pick up medications (with someone over 18), and run errands for him on a weekly or biweekly basis.”
Breanne says that the shopping can take one to two hours. As she shops, she makes sure that she caters to the elderly man’s current habits, rather than her own convenience. “He chooses to do most of his shopping in Wilton and Darien. I maintain his preferences so that once the pandemic is over and he can safely return back into society, his comfort level and choices aren’t disrupted or altered,” Breanne said.
Grocery shopping is a privilege often overlooked; so running errands for those can’t do so themselves makes a huge difference. “This program is wonderful and shows how deeply the town cares for their most vulnerable population, our senior citizens,” Breanne said. “It is heartwarming to see people come together and help each other. I am thankful for people like Ms. Zaro and the others that put together these successful programs.”
Whether it’s making a mask, joining an outreach program, or shopping for those who can’t, high school students can help the community push through COVID-19. Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors are all capable of improving local life during the pandemic. When it comes to positively contributing to the lives of others, age is just a number, and action means everything.
