As COVID-19 — often referred to as simply “coronavirus” — affects our community, more and more of our friends and neighbors are going to find themselves in need. Already, the outbreak has forced widespread closures and cancellations, business is down at stores and bars and restaurants across the country and the closure of schools leaves parents without child care and kids without those vital school lunches.

How can we help?

Some of the most urgent needs are at local hospitals and health facilities. Visit this page for a list of needed items at UNC Health facilities – including hand sanitizer, hand soap, and masks – and locations where you can drop them off.

And fortunately, our community has a lot of organizations that are actively stepping up their efforts to help those in need. There are many, many ways that you can get involved, by donating your time as well as money and supplies. (Thanks to Molly and Allison DeMarco, Sally Greene, and the Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership for compiling terrific lists of active organizations — click their names to see their respective resources.)

Here are some of the other ways that you can help in this time of need:

  • Local performers and artists are being hit hard by cancellations, as many of them depend on revenue from performances and shows. If you want to help local artists in need, the Orange County Arts Commission has established an Orange County Arts Support Fund, raising money that will go to local artists and performers.
  • The NorthStar Church of the Arts in Durham has also established an Artist Relief Fund for local artists and performers. Visit NorthStarDurham.com/ArtistRelief for more information, or go straight to the GoFundMe page.
  • Chapel Hill-Carrboro Meals on Wheels is in need of additional volunteers and additional donations to help them deliver food to seniors in need during the coronavirus outbreak. Visit CHCMOW.org for more information.
  • The Diaper Bank of North Carolina is in need of additional donations to help families get through the coronavirus outbreak. Their biggest needs are for Size 2 and Size 5 diapers, baby wipes and Ziploc bags – and of course you can also make cash donations as well.
  • The United Way of the Greater Triangle has launched a Rapid Response Fund to support residents of Wake, Durham, Orange, and Johnston Counties.
  • If you want to donate to CHCCS’ effort to feed students through the school closure, you can do that at PublicSchoolFoundation.org.
  • If you want to help local kids in need in our community, TABLE is still actively delivering meals to children living with food insecurity. Donate supplies or money online at TableNC.org.
  • PORCH is also actively working to collect food and supplies for families in need. If you want to donate, volunteer, or get more information, visit their website.
  • The Inter-Faith Council for Social Service is seeing more need for food and supplies, including cleaning supplies. If you want to donate or volunteer, visit IFCWeb.org.
  • Orange Congregations in Mission provides food to low-income families in rural Orange County. If you want to donate or volunteer, visit OCIMNC.org.
  • With seniors being asked to take extra precautions and venture out as little as possible, the Orange County Department on Aging has stepped up its efforts to keep in touch with local seniors by phone. Volunteers make “reassurance phone calls” every weekday morning to seniors who sign up, and volunteers are being recruited to do it on the weekends as well. If you want to volunteer, call the department at 919-968-2070.
  • And with restaurants, bars, stores and venues closing due to COVID-19, local service industry workers are going to find it hard to make ends meet. Local business leaders have organized a GoFundMe to support service workers in Orange and Durham Counties.
  • The Refugee Support Center is facing additional need as they work to help our local refugee community, many of whom are service workers likely to face extra struggles during the coronavirus outbreak. Get more information and donate online at RefugeeSupportCenter.org.
  • Orange County’s Emergency Operations Center has opened a Covid-19 call center for people who want information. Call 919-245-6111, or text the message “OC NC Health” to 888777.
  • Mutual Aid Carrboro is partnering with NC Piedmont DSA to create a Mutual Aid Relief Fund for workers who are having to stay home without pay.
  • Orange County DSS is collecting non-perishable food items at both of its locations: the Southern Human Services Center on Homestead Road in Chapel Hill, and the DSS main office on Mayo Street in Hillsborough. You can also donate money online or mail checks to Orange County DSS, PO Box 8181, Hillsborough, NC 27278. (Make checks out to Orange County DSS and put “Food Drive” in the memo line.)
  • The DPS Foundation is collecting donations to support students in Durham Public Schools. Learn more and donate online at BullCitySchools.org.
  • A fund has been started to help restaurant workers in the Triangle who may be out of work amidst the coronavirus outbreak. Visit FrankieLemmonSchool.org/RestaurantWorkersReliefFund.
  • The organization Down Home NC has organized a Mutual Aid Fund to help members afford cleaning supplies. Get more information and contribute here.
  • A website called the Chapel Hill Community Post has been created to connect people in need with people who are able to give. Visit CHCommunityPost.com to learn more and get involved.
  • The Ronald McDonald House of Chapel Hill is in need of financial support as they’re having to continue their operations without the help of volunteers. Donate online at this page.
  • The CORA Food Pantry in Chatham County is seeing a rise in need – and a decline in available volunteers. Learn more about how you can help by donating or volunteering.
  • Thrive Kitchen and Catering of Durham is working to donate lunches to healthcare workers who are responding to COVID-19 at Duke Regional Hospital. If you want to help, email carolynk@thrivedurham.com.
  • El Centro Hispano has created a COVID-19 Crisis Response Fund to assist families who are being impacted due to the outbreak. Visit ElCentroNC.org to donate and learn more.
  • The Chapel Hill-Carrboro Foodies Facebook group is working to organize meal delivery for UNC hospital workers. Join the group to learn more.
  • Local resident Daniel Toben – who regularly works on trash cleanup initiatives – has organized a GoFundMe to offer financial support for people experiencing temporary unemployment, who want to earn money by taking part in cleanup efforts. Visit the GoFundMe page to learn more and donate.
  • As we get through this outbreak, we all need to be thinking about each other and taking care of each other and helping each other stay healthy. One listener is asking all of us to disinfect your mailboxes on a regular basis, to help protect postal workers who have to touch hundreds of boxes every day in order to do their jobs.
  • Club Nova in Carrboro is setting up virtual connections to help members continue receiving vital healthcare services remotely during the outbreak. If you want to donate, visit ClubNova.org.
  • The Hillsborough/Orange County Chamber of Commerce is teaming up with the Wooden Nickel to help service workers who are out of work amidst the COVID-19 outbreak. They’ve created a GoFundMe campaign called Hillsborough Hospitality Help.
  • Piedmont Health in Carrboro is doing drive-thru testing for Covid-19, but they’re running low on masks and other PPE. If you have personal protective equipment that you can donate, bring it to the Carrboro Community Health Center, at 299 Lloyd Street.
  • A new local initiative has just launched to support local restaurants and UNC Health Care workers at the same time. It’s called Feed The Fight Chapel Hill – they’re collecting donations now to buy food from local restaurants to deliver to staffers at UNC medical facilities as they fight the epidemic. (Donate to their GoFundMe here.)
  • The NC Healthcare Association has launched an initiative called Feeding The Soul, partnering with local restaurants to feed health care workers who are on the front lines of the COVID-19 fight. If you want to contribute, visit CHA.org/FeedTheSoul.
  • Local restaurants have teamed up with the Durham Public Schools Foundation to provide meals to Durham students while school is out of session. It’s an initiative called Durham FEAST. If you’d like to volunteer or donate to the effort, visit DurhamFEAST.org.
  • Local engineers and other folks with 3D printers are teaming up to produce face shields and other PPE for health care workers. If you can help, or if you want to donate or volunteer in other ways to support that cause, visit TriangleCOVID.com.
  • Local physicians and med students are organizing an effort to produce homemade face masks for people who need them, especially in high-risk populations. If you want to help the cause or donate money, visit CoveringTheTriangle.com. 
  • The Chapel Hill Christian Church is hosting a food drive for the IFC Pantry, every Sunday from 10:30-11:30 am at the Carrboro Civic Club at 108 Bim Street near Town Commons. Bring non-perishable food items or toiletries to donate.
  • Habitat for Humanity of Durham has created a new fund called “Stronger Together” to help homeowners who have lost their jobs amidst the COVID-19 crisis. To contribute to the fund, visit DurhamHabitat.org/StrongerTogether.
  • Andrew Moore of Carrboro’s Venable restaurant has launched a GoFundMe called “NC Feeder”: funds raised will purchase food from Venable to be delivered to hospital workers and first responders in the area.
  • A grassroots effort called the PPEople Brigade has teamed up to make and deliver face shields to local health care providers. They’ve delivered more than 5000 already! If you want to join in the effort, visit their Facebook page.
  • The Chatham Arts Council has launched a new project called Masks For Many – partnering with local artists to create masks to donate to essential workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 fight. If you want to take part, if you want to donate, or if you’re an organization that needs masks, get in touch at ChathamArtsCouncil.org.
  • The Orange County Rural Alliance has launched a GoFundMe to support their efforts to feed senior citizens in rural Orange County. Support the GoFundMe here.
  • Durham residents have organized to make face shields for health-care organizations that need them. You can support their effort by visiting their GoFundMe page.
  • Are you an Orange County resident who needs help paying for pet food in the midst of COVID-19? Orange County Animal Services now has a Pet Food Assistance Program. Click here to apply. (If you want to donate to OCAS’ effort, they’re asking you to purchase items from their Amazon wish list and have them shipped to the Animal Services Center at 1601 Eubanks Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27516.)
  • If you’re needing help in the midst of COVID-19, there are several resources available on the state level. You can dial 211 anytime to get connected with resources in the community. If you need food assistance for your kids, text FOODNC to 877-877. Or for general information and updates, text COVIDNC to 898211.
  • Local high school students and their families have created a “Mask Brigade,” creating masks to donate to individuals and organizations in need. If you want to help in the effort, visit JoinTheMaskBrigade.org.
  • Chapel Hill has expanded its Emergency Housing Assistance Program to help more residents affected by COVID-19. If you want to donate, write a check to the town and send it to 405 MLK Boulevard, Chapel Hill 27514 with “emergency housing assistance program” written in the memo. Donations are tax-deductible and 100 percent of funds will be directly used to assist local families.
  • Orange County Animal Services has launched a GoFundMe to raise funds for a Veterinary Care Assistance Program, set to launch later this summer to help residents who are having trouble affording veterinary care for their pets. Donate here. (You can also visit this page for other ways to support local pets in need.)
  • Since it unexpectedly had to start early this year, Chapel Hill’s annual “Food for the Summer” program is rebranding as “Food for Students.” If you’d like to volunteer or get involved, visit FoodForStudents.info.
  • The town of Carrboro is accepting donations of unused face masks to distribute to residents in need. The town has set up a collection bin outside the Carrboro Police Department.
  • The town of Chapel Hill is accepting donations of unused face masks to distribute to residents in need. You can bring masks to Hargraves Community Center, weekdays from 8 am to 5 pm. You can also drop off masks at Fire Station #1 (MLK Boulevard) or Fire Station #3 (corner of Franklin and Elliott) during their mask-distribution events, Wednesdays and Saturdays from 2-5 pm.
  • UNC scholars are conducting research on COVID-19 that could lead to major breakthroughs in treatment. If you want to volunteer for a COVID-19 study, if you want to help in other ways, or if you just want to learn more, visit this site.
  • The RENA Community Center distributes food to residents in need on the third Friday of every month. If you’d like to donate non-perishable food items (or funds), bring them to the center weekdays from 10:30am to 3:00pm.
  • The Refugee Support Center is holding a collection drive for school supplies for refugee kids in our community. Saturday, August 1, bring new, unused supplies to donate to Chapel of the Cross on East Franklin Street, 9 am to noon.
  • The American Red Cross is seeking volunteers – not just for Covid-related issues, but also as we head into hurricane season. Get more info on volunteering at this page.
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